The Butler and the Doctor
by Shiny Marble
Summary: A Kuro-Dr Who crossover. The 10th Doctor  & Rose  and Ciel are hunting the same thing responsible for some unexplained deaths. They meet and a mystery unfolds, forcing them to work together. Rated T for violence and swearing.  Complete.
1. The Chase

London, 1889.

A young boy ran down the dark London streets chasing something. He had barely even caught the slightest glimpse of the creature before it raced off, but because of its speed he was not able to see what he was pursuing. The creature was rather fast, and there was no way that he could keep chasing it.

"Sebastian!" he yelled, coming to an abrupt stop.

"Yes, my lord?" the butler appeared by his master's side as if by magic.

"What _is _that thing, Sebastian?" Ciel demanded, somewhat out of breath.

"It is certainly not human, nor any kind of animal… by normal definition. It is nearly as fast as I am."

Ciel frowned at the statement._ Nothing could challenge Sebastian's speed. _

"That is… quite a nuisance…" He paused and looked at the butler before him questioning. "I suppose… it couldn't be one of your kind?"

"No. Of that I am certain. It is a being that is completely unfamiliar to me, my lord."

Ciel scrutinised his demon butler for any hints to what might be going through his mind, but he simply stood there. Sebastian's hand pressed to his chest respectfully, yet with the faintest hints of a mocking smile gracing his lips.

"Shall we leave it for tonight, young master? It must be on the other side of London by now." The demon smiled, and added, with mocking concern "And you look like you could use some sleep, my lord."

Ciel glared at Sebastian, and thought about refusing the offer on the basis that it hurt his pride. But if the creature could run that fast it would have little trouble evading them until dawn. What was needed was a plan - some idea for a trap, which could wait until morning. And his butler was right, he _was_ exhausted.

"Alright, Sebastian. But we _will_ try again tomorrow night. 'The casualties must be kept to a minimum', those were the Queen's orders. Take me home."

"Yes, my lord."

The butler picked up the boy bridal style, to grumbling protests, and swiftly carried him home.

Ciel was sitting at his desk the next morning, going through the information again that Sebastian had collected.

"Is there anything I've missed?" he asked himself, "Hmmm… '_Screams were heard late at night_'… then… '_When witnesses went to see what was happening all that was found is a pool of blood on the street_'… and… '_No bodies have been discovered, nor any trace of remnants of the supposed murder, apart from the blood_'. And this was the case for each and every one of the victims. However, they cannot be sure exactly who the victims are, seeing as there has been no trace found."

He glanced up briefly as he heard a distant crash, followed by the wailed apologies of Maylene. He rolled his eyes at the incompetence of his maid, and went back to work, quietly hoping it wasn't his favourite tea set.

It was early afternoon before he was interrupted again. It was a welcome break from his train of thought, especially as it was Sebastian bringing his lunch.

"I have prepared a selection of savoury breads for your lunch young master, accompanied by Earl Grey tea. There is also a strawberry and white chocolate cheesecake for your dessert." The butler put down the tray on an empty spot on the desk, which Ciel could have sworn was not empty moments ago. The tea was offered to the boy, who was silently relieved to see was held in his favourite cup. _So that clumsy maid managed to spare it this time, _he thought.

"I shall take the croissant and the scone, Sebastian." Ciel said as he savoured the taste of his tea.

"As you wish, young master." Sebastian daintily selected the desired bread products and placed them on a small plate matching his cup and saucer. "Has much progress been made on the case?"

"Not a lot." Ciel admitted, grudgingly. "The creature doesn't seem to have a preference in race, gender, age, occupation or social rank of its victims. The only obvious common factor in each of the incidents is that they were alone, outside, after dark. The creature apparently didn't care if the victims were heard, since many attacks took place in residential areas, where loud noises were bound to be investigated."

Ciel frowned. He knew he was going to make a trap for the creature, and he just knew who was going to be the bait. _Why is it always me? _He thought, and sighed.

"I should try to lure it out. Walk around the streets alone tonight, like the victims did. You will obviously be somewhere close by, out of sight, to make sure I'm not another victim, and that is an order, Sebastian."

"Yes, my lord." the demon said, bowing deeply.

_Let's just hope he doesn't see any cats while I'm being chased… _the boy thought as Sebastian exited the room.

* * *

  
(Evening, 11pm)

Ciel walked the streets, trying to avoid any places where people were likely to still be, such as brothels, pubs and the like. There was neither sight nor sound of anything that even vaguely related to the case. He sighed; he'd already been walking around for more than half an hour. _This was going to be a long night._

Sebastian watched from a distant rooftop as his master wound his way through the empty streets. He was trying to make sure he was close enough to be of assistance when the creature showed up, but far enough away to ensure that it did. A second night's failure would not do well for the young master's mood.

Ciel heard a shrill scream. He whipped around to the source of the noise, pulling out his gun as he did so. What he saw was nothing like what he expected.

There was a shape, only a few feet high, but certainly much longer than that. It had a body similar to one of a centipede, long with segmented armour plating. Several small legs were along its length, stubby and out of proportion to the rest of its body. The creatures face was somewhat canine-like, but it contained more teeth than any dog would ever have. The creature's eyes were large and bulbous, and protruding above the top of its head on what seemed to be stalks.

All of this reached Ciel's mind in less than a second. The creature charged towards the boy, shrieking again. He fired his gun at it and the bullet ricocheted off the creature's tough hide. _Bullets have no effect, _Ciel thought. As the monster pounced, the boy was dragged out of harms way. Sebastian had one arm wrapped protectively around his master, while the other was already throwing kitchen knives at the beast.

They hit into its side with a rather satisfying dull 'thunk' sound, causing the creature to holler in pain. Sebastian took that opportunity to twist the cutlery embedded in the monster sadistically, causing another scream of pain. Ciel winced and put his hands over his ears in an attempt to reduce the shrillness of the shriek. The beast writhed blindly, one leg lashing out hitting the butler square in the chest, sending him and Ciel flying backwards. Sebastian was surprised to find the creature had incredible strength along with its speed.

It took this spare moment as an opportunity to escape, knives still buried in its side, it raced away and around a corner.

Sebastian watched it go, staring in disbelief, Ciel still under one arm.

"Put me down, Sebastian." Ciel said haughtily.

"Of course, young master."

There was a long pause.

"What in the world was that thing?"

* * *

**A/N:** Okay, so this is my first time writing a fanfiction. I hope people like it.  
In case you don't know, it's going to be a Doctor Who - Kuroshitsuji crossover, based in London 1889. This chapter just touches on the Kuro bits. =)


	2. Chance Encounter

"What in the world was that thing?" Ciel asked.

"I –" Sebastian's answer was cut off by an abrupt and very strange noise coming from behind them.

They turned around to see a large blue box, slowly materialising in the street. The words Police Box were written on it, and there was a flashing light on the roof.

_This is certainly a night filled with interesting and highly unusual occurrences,_ Ciel thought.

A door opened on the side of the box. A man ran out wearing a brown trench coat and holding a strange contraption, followed by a blonde girl. That was strange; the box looked barely big enough to fit one person comfortably, let alone two. The man stopped, and thumped his contraption heavily.

"Ooh, we missed it!" the man exclaimed, clearly annoyed, "That's the third time this month!"

"What are we actually looking for 'ere, Doctor?" the blonde girl asked in an exasperated tone.

Ciel frowned as he inspected the girl. She was nowhere near properly dressed. She was wearing blue _trousers_ for heavens sake! And she was wearing a top with a Union Jack on it. Surely that was some kind of travesty against England. Not to mention it was so short that he could see the skin above her trouser line. He blushed and averted his eyes from the girl, looking the man again.

"Something that's not meant to be here. It's playing havoc with the TARDIS. Or something is anyway." The so-called-doctor said as he tapped his fist on the box, throwing the handheld device inside it with very little care.

Ciel's eyes widened slightly at that. That really made it sound like they knew what's going on around here. He decided it was time to investigate. Ciel strode towards the strange pair, Sebastian following behind him closely.

"Who are the two of you, and what are you doing here?" Ciel's voice was cold, calm and full of authority.

The man in the trench coat looked at the boy and raised an eyebrow sceptically. "I'm The Doctor, and this is my friend Rose Tyler. Who are you?"

"Earl Phantomhive. And this is my butler, Sebastian." he asked, trying to be patient.

It was Rose's turn to raise an eyebrow. "You have a butler? But you're a kid!"

"And an Earl, Rose, keep up. Earl's always have butlers." The Doctor said with a nod to his companion. "What's an Earl doing here in the middle of the night?"

"What's a kid doing here in the middle of the night?" Rose murmured to herself.

Ciel looked at the pair rather scathingly, feeling highly offended that commoners would talk to a noble in such a way.

"That isn't your business." He said coldly.

"I think you need to learn some manners!" Rose retorted.

"Manners? You are the one speaking to a person of noble blood as though he is nothing more than a commoner like yourself. Where are _your_ manners?" Ciel said, shooting icy daggers with his eyes.

The man quickly pulled the girl away from Ciel, and gave her a look to silence her, before saying, "I do apologise for my friend here. She's a bit… dazed and confused."

Rose frowned.

"Well, we must be off!" the Doctor said cheerfully, "Come on, Rose."

The odd man turned around and went back inside the box, followed by the girl. They closed the door, and it the blue box began to make the strange noise again, and started to fade from view.

* * *

(In the TARDIS)

Rose watched the Doctor as he pulled some levers, and the TARDIS began to make its distinctive and familiar sound, indicating that it was dematerialising from the time and place outside. He hadn't spoken, and seemed to be rather tense.

"Are you okay, Doctor?" she asked with concern.

"No. Something's wrong, very wrong." the Doctor frowned, sounding worried.

"What is it? What's wrong?"

The man started to pace. "Well, we were tracking the rouge Drashig, and we heard its hunting cry, so we appeared, to try and stop it. And then they were there. Those people. Those two _people_. They shouldn't have been."

"Why?"

"They should have been dead. By rights. Not that I _want_ them to be," he paused pacing, and looked at Rose to emphasise his point, "but we were right on its tail and then they were there and it wasn't!"

The Doctor resumed his pacing "There's something not right at all here. If they had been the Drashig's intended victims, why weren't they killed? But if they weren't supposed to be its prey, then why would we have appeared there when it cried out?"

The Doctor appeared to be thinking out loud now, more than talking to Rose.

"You want a cuppa?" she asked him, to excuse herself from his monologue.

There was a nod, and as she left the control room she heard him mutter "And I don't trust that butler at all."

Rose thought that the older man had looked rather nice. Not to mention incredibly handsome. She made the tea for them both, and then went back to where the Doctor was still talking to himself. Sometimes he seemed so eccentric. 

"We're gonna have to investigate, aren't we Doctor?" Rose said, handing him the cup.

"Ye-eah. We will. I want to know why a Drashig would act like this. And how they survived an attack."

* * *

(Next day, Phantomhive residence)

Ciel was annoyed. Not only had the perpetrator of the crimes escaped, meaning at least another night's work for him (and Sebastian, but that was no concern to Ciel), but there was the mystery of the strange people from the blue box that insulted him and ran away. He wanted to know who they were (not just their names, but _details_ about them), and the relevance of the pair on the case.

He'd ordered Sebastian to find them this morning.  
_What's taking him so long?_ Ciel thought. _It's almost noon and Sebastian still isn't back.  
_

_

* * *

_

Rose sighed. They needed milk. Again. Why did they always need milk?

"Doctor? We need to stop for milk!" She hollered in the direction of the control room.

"And bananas! We're out of bananas Rose. Remind me to get some bananas when we're out!"

"Him and his bananas." Rose muttered, rolling her eyes. She added them to the shopping list anyway.

Rose walked into the control room of the TARDIS as it lurched, and began making sounds to indicate its materialisation.

"Some warnin' would be nice, Doctor." She grumbled.

"Sorry. We're here. You've got the list?" The Doctor said cheerfully, opening the TARDIS door.

Rose saw an arm reach and pull the Doctor through.

"DOCTOR!" She screamed and ran through the door. She felt something grab her around the waist and lift her bodily.

She twisted around to see the TARDIS, door still open, growing increasingly distant.

* * *

A/N: *Legasp* There's actual contact between the crossover characters? And the Doctor doesn't like Sebby and I've left it on a cliffhanger? Ohnoes!  
10 points and a cyber-cookie to guess what grabbed them.

Yeah, there will be more interesting stuff coming, I promise.


	3. Not a Usual

Rose opened her eyes. She didn't even remember closing them. Recollection flooded back into her mind and suddenly she sat upright.

"Doctor?" She said uncertainly, looking around the room.

She was lying on a bed, and there was not much in the way of furnishings – just a small bedside table with a hair brush and hand mirror on it.

"Doctor? Are you 'ere?" Rose called again, gathering her strength.

"Oh, you're up." A girl with wine red hair edged nervously into the room. Rose noticed she had enormous glasses and was wearing a maid's uniform.

"Yeah I am." Rose said, standing up. "Who are you?"

"I'm Maylene, a servant of the Phantomhive residence." the bespectacled girl curtsied politely.

"I'm Rose Tyler. Nice to meet you."

_Phantomhive, Phantomhive… Why does that ring a bell? _Rose thought, frowning. _Oh, it was that kid, wasn't it?_

"Do you know where the Doctor is? About this tall-" she gestured above her head with her hand "- wearing lots of brown, saying stuff no-one understands?"

"Yes, he's with the young master now." Maylene said, shuffling around the room in a feigned effort to clean it.

"Which way is it?" Rose said walking towards the door. She was surprised by the sudden interception.

"Uhm, the young master said you weren't to leave my room." The wine haired girl barred the way with her arm.

"Like hell I'm gonna stay here and let the Doctor have all the fun." She said as she pushed the maid's arm aside and strode out into the hallway.

* * *

Ciel looked across the desk with cold eyes, surveying the strange man.

"You don't really seem like much of a doctor."

"We~ll I'm not a usual kind of doctor." The man in brown said evasively, glancing at the butler.

"No? You said earlier you were looking for something that wasn't meant to be here." Ciel said, raising his visible eyebrow.

"Well, I say a lot of things. That doesn't mean it makes it true. Nor does the truth influence whether or not I will say something," The man known as the Doctor raised his eyebrows and then smiled. "But I suppose you wouldn't understand it even if I do say that the Drashig by product of the Grundle satellite in the Nervanic system was deprecated and actualised into quintessence, the emanating varmint on the evolutionary computation disimprisioned themselves and inaugurated to transverse thresholds of the expanse and chronology.*"

He leaned back in the chair, looking from Ciel to Sebastian.

Ciel's raised an eyebrow. This so called doctor seemed completely mad.

"May I be so bold as to enquire who or what the Drashig are?" Sebastian asked, his cool, overly polite voice snapping the boy out of his slight stupor.

There was a scream from somewhere on the grounds.

Ciel rolled his eyes. Something bad always happened when there were important things to do.

"Sebastian, go and fix whatever has been broken. Then 'the Doctor' and I will take tea. Mr. Doctor, do you have any preferences for dessert?"

"Just nothing with pears in it. I hate pears." The Doctor said matter of factly, nodding to the butler, watching carefully as Sebastian backed out of the room, head bowed.

* * *

Sebastian scowled as soon as he was out of view. He didn't trust this Doctor, especially around his bocchan.

Something simply wasn't right about his soul. It wasn't human, to start with. And it was so very, very old. Yet it did not seem to be near its natural expiry. The strange man was a mystery, and the demon did not want to leave his young master alone for any longer than was necessary.

Sebastian walked out into the grounds. The scream sounded like it came from Finny, so the gardens was where he would begin his search.

He rounded a corner, and saw the blond boy crying, on his knees by Pluto's kennel. It was totally empty.

Sebastian barely had to look around to know the garden was an utter disaster. There was overturned earth, uprooted saplings, and scratch marks deep in the pavement. A couple of trees seemed to be smouldering too.

The butler went over to Finny, who looked up with tear filled eyes.

"Sebastian! I just came out to feed Plu-Plu and he's gone! What should we do?" The boy wailed.

The demon sighed. _What would be the quickest way to do this? Keep him away from anything important and do everything myself, of course. _

"Start cleaning up the garden. I'll fetch Pluto."

* * *

The Doctor stood upright, and leaned over the young Earl's desk. "Tell me everything you know."

The child was surprised by the Doctor's sudden advance, and looked stunned for a moment, then regained his usual air of arrogance. "Why should I tell you anything? You're in my residence, you are part of my investigation, and you are of a lower social standing than I. You have no right to demand such a thing from me."

The Doctor frowned. He was used to people who were corrupt, wicked or simply stupid, but pompous human children were not awfully common and he wasn't quite sure how to deal with them. The tall man stood upright.

"Well, if you don't tell me anything, then I won't be able to help when it comes after you again."

Ciel's eyes narrowed, "How do you know?"

"They never give up a hunt." The Doctor said darkly.

* * *

Rose was getting fed up with the maids constant chiding to get back into the room.

"Look, I'm sure you have better things to do than follow me 'round all day, telling me off."

Maylene looked at the blond timidly. "But if I fail this, Mister Sebastian will be angry at me."

"He's the butler guy, right? Why should it matter if another servant gets angry at you?" Rose asked, genuinely curious.

The girl blushed, but seemed unable to say anything.

"Oh, I _see_." The blond said, smiling at Maylene kindly. "I understand. He _is_ rather good looking, I'll give ya that. You've got good taste in men."

The maid blushed more deeply, her face becoming as red as her hair. She began to stutter incoherent protests.

"Oh, stop it. I can see you like him." Rose said, putting her arm around the maid's shoulders. "Does he like you back?"

"No. He only ever yells at me for being so clumsy."

The blond looked at the other girl with sympathy. "That's not very good, Mayle-"

Rose's stomach growled loudly cutting her off.

"Sorry, but is there anything to eat around here? I'm starved."

"I can check the kitchens if you like, Miss Tyler." The deep red haired girl curtsied.

"Just call me Rose. And we can check together. We can talk about this 'Mr Sebastian', okay?"

* * *

A tall, dark figure stood in a dimly lit room. Cavern would have been a better description, the place was simply vast. Muted sunlight filtered through small grills from far above at street level. A cage took up a considerable portion of the room, seemingly consisting of iron bars. However, mere metal would not have been able to hold the two fearsome creatures that were captive inside it. One was whining softly, tugging at something firmly embedded in its body.

The figure watched the beast remove the item that wounded it, and spit it on the floor in what seemed to be disgust.

It was a dinner knife.

The shadowed figure seemed to consider this for some time, drumming his fingers on the wall.

"The Doctor wouldn't have done that."

* * *

**A/N:** Duhm-dumh-duhmmm. Cliffhanger!  
*dramatic tv voice* Who is this new and shadowy figure? Why were there two Drashigs when the Doctor only thinks there's one? What on earth was the Doctor talking about? Will Maylene ever have her love requited?

Lol, I just had to say it. Sorry. =) Oh, and as for what the Doctor was talking about back there:

"The Drashigs evolved, and escaped from their place of origin, and began to travel through time and space." (But I'm sure you figured it out =) Just type 'Drashig Dr Who' into Google if you want to know about the original creature. My version is a somewhat evolved version of them (and so they are pretty different), and the details will be discussed later. I based ALL of this on actual stuff in the shows, and I'm not pulling random stuff outta thin air. So there! *sticks tounge out*

More stuff is coming. I have... issues with a part of the next chapter. So... lets hope it goes the right way. =D


	4. Chocolate Mousse

(Streets of London)

Grell… was sulking.

His feet caught in the cobbles causing him to stomp in a puddle with frustration. He was on a period of enforced temporary leave from work, and he didn't like it.

_This is totally unfair! It's not my fault that Ron is so sexy! I just can't control myself! _The sharp toothed man pouted as he thought to himself. _So what if the other shinigami in the office get a bit distracted? It's not like I'm not worth their time! _

Grell didn't understand at all when William Spears had stated in the report that he 'generally caused chaos'. It just didn't make sense. What was worse was that no-one had objected to his removal from duty. _I wish my Sebas-chan was here! He'd make it all better. _The shinigami flicked his scarlet hair as he walked dejectedly through the streets of London, searching for something to lighten his mood.

Grell's aimless wanderings eventually lead him an old and abandoned warehouse, perfect for avoiding anyone at all. He went inside, noticing how the dull sunshine made its way through the holes in the roof. A pale ray of light illuminated one of the corners of the room. There was a large blue box there, its rich colour looking completely out of place in the dusty grey warehouse. The door was open, revealing a strange, unnatural light.

The shinigami walked to towards it, his curiousity growing and replacing his sullen mood. _This could be interesting. _Grell thought, going inside with his red hair swishing.

Lights flickered. His emerald eyes glowed. _What is this place?_ He thought.

Grell decided to explore and find out.

* * *

(Phantomhive Manor, the kitchen)

"Mister Sebastian really is amazing! He does all of the cooking, most of the housework, and everything the young master tells him to. I don't know how he does it!" Maylene gushed to her new-found friend.

"That is impressive, yeah." Rose replied, "Have you ever told him you like him?"

"Oh no, I couldn't ever do that!" she said, shaking her head.

"Why not?" the blond girl asked, "He looks nice, and I'm sure he'd rather know."

Maylene froze abruptly. The subject of their conversation had appeared behind Rose, head tilted slightly and his eyes closed in mock happiness.

"Maylene, why is our guest in the kitchen?"

"M-M-Mister Sebastian! I'm s-so sorry!" the maid stuttered, with a fearful expression. "I-"

"I was hungry," Rose interjected quickly, "So Maylene here brought me to the kitchen, since she said she didn't want to leave me."

"Y-Yes. Y-Yes, that's right. I w-was just looking for s-something for her to eat, M-Mister Sebastian."

_The poor girl is shakin' like a leaf. Is this man really that scary?_ Rose thought, trying to examine the butler surreptitiously.

"Maylene, go and do your duties."

"Y-Yes, Mister Sebastian." the wine haired girl blushed yet again and excused herself from the kitchen.

"So…" Rose said, leaning against the kitchen bench. "Can I have something to eat?"

"I am just about to make dessert for the young master and his guest. I suppose I can prepare extra." Sebastian's voice was smooth and attractive. "Chocolate mousse. It's one of my master's favourites."

Rose saw the corners of his mouth curved upwards in a small smile when he said that.

"I would love some. Chocolate is always good." She said, watching the butler move skilfully around the kitchen.

* * *

(Phantomhive Manor, the study)

"Where are you keeping Rose, Earl Phantomhive?" The Doctor asked.

"She's safe," The boy replied. "She's in my maid's room. Maylene has been instructed to keep her company."

"Well that's a relief at least," The Doctor said. "I'm going to tell you something Earl Phantomh- Look, can't I call you something else?"

The boy stared incredulously at him, and then rolled his eyes. "I suppose you may call me Ciel, if you _must _address me differently."

"Well… Ciel," The Doctor said, "I'm going to have to tell you something that is very important, and you have to pay attention."

He stood up and began to pace, Ciel's visible eye following him around the room.

"You see, the Drashig are creatures from another planet, well, I say planet, it was really a satellite, a moon, orbiting the planet Grundle. They evolved to be amazing predators; they hunted in packs, and shrieked to indicate their attack. They truly were fantastic creatures, superbly evolved. But the moon started to decay, to die. There was less and less for them to eat so they had to adapt, becoming stronger, faster, less social and more dangerous. Then somebody took one of them from its home, transported it here and set it free, and I want to know who did it and why." The Doctor banged his hands down on Ciel's desk to emphasise his point.

"So this creature that committed these murders-" Ciel began.

"Murders? They didn't murder anyone. People were killed, yes, but the Drashig doesn't have the intelligence to actually _murder_. It's… just an animal." The Doctor's voice was strangely soft and sad.

"So they're from another world?" the boy asked, to make sure he had understood correctly.

"Yes, someone brought the poor creature from its home so very far away and I don't like that. It's jetlagged, cold and confused. No wonder it's been hunting, just reverting to its basic instincts when all else fails." He sat down and looked at the young Earl. "I need to find out who is behind this."

"I agree." Ciel said, to the Doctor's surprise. "I have been ordered by Queen Victoria to stop the murders and catch the culprit… by whatever means necessary."

The boy pressed the tips of his fingers together, examining the Doctor critically.

"I will need to have a trap. Where someone can act as bait for this… Drashig." Ciel said.

"That's practically murder. Drashig are really not inclined to give up the hunt. And they're fast. Very fast." The Doctor paused and looked thoughtful. "Incidentally, how are you still alive?"

"I beg your pardon?" The young Earl gave him a dagger stare.

"Well I was tracking the Drashig, and when we came down there should have been either the Drashig or what remains of its latest victim. Instead, there you were. You and that butler of yours. That should be impossible. Now, how is it that you're alive?"

"I suppose we were just lucky then." Ciel smirked slightly.

The Doctor frowned and began to open his mouth as if to say something.

"You said you were tracking the creature?" the boy asked, changing the subject before the Doctor could question him more.

"Yes, I've been trying to locate the Drashig. Of course, the device isn't perfect, I mean the genetic signature could be better, and that means we've been getting there too late. Of course I _could_ reroute the power supply from the TARDIS and amplify the signal… _**THE TARDIS!**_" The Doctor yelled, leapt to his feet in a panic and rushed out of the room.

Ciel, eyes wide with surprise and disbelief, stared at the empty space where the man had so abruptly vacated.

"That man has the attention span of a gnat…" He muttered to himself.

* * *

Rose was following Sebastian, who was carrying a tray with a tea set and two crystal glasses filled with perfect chocolate mousse. There was even a strawberry on the top of each.

"-_THE TARDIS!_"

Rose heard the yell and automatically set of at a run towards it. Sebastian raised his eyebrows in surprise for a moment, before he regained his composure and set off at a run too. He had to make sure his master was safe. As Rose reached a cross-path in the corridor a brown blur went past. The Doctor stopped, backtracked, grabbed her hand then raced away again.

"**We left the TARDIS open!"** He yelled to Rose his voice full of distress.

"So where is it?" She replied.

"Dunno!" The Doctor yelled.

Turning to her he lowered his voice and said, "What were you doing back there anyway?"

"I was talkin' to the butler, Sebastian." She said as they both slowed from a run to a brisk walk.

The Doctor stopped, his face deadly serious. "I thought I said not to go near him."

"You said you don't trust him." Rose said raising her eyebrows.

"Isn't that the same thing?" He started walking again. "There's something very wrong about that man."

"Sure, sure. But how are we gonna find the TARDIS if we don't know where to look?" Rose asked.

"The sonic screwdriver." The Doctor replied, his voice becoming happier and more energetic.

He pulled the device out of his jacket pocket and began to fiddle with it as he walked. "I can get it to tune into the Drashig tracking device because it's a bit sonic too. It should still be in the TARDIS, so we'll actually be tracking it."

"That's very… Spock." The girl said with a smile. "Come on then, let's go find the TARDIS."

The sonic screwdriver beeped and the light at the tip glowed faintly.

"Ah!" The Doctor said with enthusiasm. "Here we go."

The man twisted his screwdriver, paying close attention to the blue light. It beeped again. The light on the tip became brighter.

"This way!" He shouted happily running in the direction it was pointing when it beeped.

"Is that it?" Rose asked in disbelief as she ran after him. "I thought it would be more high tech!"

"Nope, that's it! Simple, eh?" His voice was brimming with cheerfulness.

* * *

(Phantomhive Manor, the study)

Ciel drummed his fingers on his desk. He was considering his options. He really shouldn't let that man get away. This so-called doctor seemed to know what was happening, and Ciel would be foolish to let him just run away like that.

"Sebastian, follow him. And don't let harm come to him, he might be useful to me."

"Yes my lord." The demon bowed somewhat stiffly, hand to his heart.

_Is it just me, or is Sebastian acting slightly… unusual? _Ciel thought, noting how the butler's voice was hard and almost sullen. He had even closed the door with just a bit more force than was necessary. And it really wasn't Sebastian to lose his composure for more than a moment.

This normally wouldn't bother Ciel in the slightest. In fact he would usually gain some quiet joy of seeing his perfect butler acting less than perfect for once. However since this was coupled with a difficult case, that strange doctor and his rude companion, it made the boy uncharacteristically uneasy.

"I may be getting in over my head."

* * *

**A/N: **Well, the issue was resolved (like all my fanfic issues), thanks to nzotaku.

I have to say, I'm rather surprised though. I seem to be getting a fair number of favourites and stuff. I didn't know there were that many fanfic-reading Kuroshitsuji and Doctor who fans out there. It is convincing me to keep at it. Oh, and chapter 5 is ages away, sorry. Like, at least a week, since I have barely started it.

I do hope you all enjoy this. =)

Oh, and reviews will get you a cyber cupcake!


	5. An Inconvenience

_Beep!_

Rose opened her mouth to say something.

_Beep, beep!_

She shut it again. The beeping from the sonic screwdriver was annoying her to death.

_Beepbeepbeep!_

"Are we there yet?" She asked in exasperation.

"Nearly, we can't be more than a hundred metres out." The Doctor replied, tapping the sonic screwdriver.

They rounded the corner, coming into view of an old abandoned warehouse.

_Beepbeepbeepbeep – beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeep!_

"It's in there!" The Doctor yelled happily and bolted forwards, through the rotting door of the building.

Rose followed hurriedly, to see him right by his precious TARDIS, which seemed to be unharmed.

"Doctor, the door was open when we were taken."

The Doctor paused, then flung the door wide with one hand and held the sonic screwdriver threateningly with the other.

Everything appeared to be normal.

"Maybe the wind shut it. There are enough holes in this place for wind to get in." Rose ventured, walking up behind him.

"Could be." The Doctor said shortly, eyes darting around the TARDIS control room, still searching for something out of place, but to no avail.

He cautiously walked into the TARDIS, followed closely by Rose.

* * *

(Phantomhive Manor)

The door bell rang.

Maylene hurried get to the front door so she could greet whoever had arrived.

She opened it to find a smiling Chinese man, arms wrapped around a girl. He ambled in, somehow doing so without removing his arms from the girl.

"Mister Lau! What brings you here?"

"Ah, I just came to pay the young Earl a visit." Lau said cheerfully, "Ran Mao wanted to see him too, didn't you?"

The girl simply looked solemn, without saying a word.

"Oh! Yes, d-do come in," Maylene said nervously, leading the pair to the drawing room. "I'll j-just tell the master you're here."

She hurried down the corridors and frantically knocked on the study door.

"Come in." Ciel said wearily from within.

Maylene entered timidly. "M-Master? Mister Lau and Miss Ran-Mao are here. I t-took them to the drawing room."

He sighed irritably and said, "I'll go and see what they want."

Ciel stood up from his desk, muttering to himself.

"Why do these things always happen at the most inopportune times? It's like someone _plans_ to inconvenience me." Ciel said as he passed the girl on the way out.

* * *

(The TARDIS)

Grell was wandering through the rooms of the TARDIS, filled with amazement.  
This place had _everything_. He had found four libraries, a banquet hall, several bedrooms and even a swimming pool.

_All this needs to be perfect is a splash of red paint and some hot boys to adore me! _Grell thought, with a sharp-toothed smile.

He paused, mid-step. There were muffled voices coming from nearby, one was male and the other was _distinctly_ female.

"No way in _hell_ am I sharing this place with a woman!" the scarlet haired shinigami growled under his breath.

Grell reached for his custom chainsaw, lifting it from the holster resting on his back. He held it out in front of himself threateningly, running towards the door as he pulled the chainsaw chord and swung down simultaneously. The best way to kill the competition was to take advantage of surprise, after all.

* * *

Sebastian walked swiftly through the streets, scowling.

_What did they talk about that makes bocchan trust the man?_ The demon thought venomously. _The young master considered him little more than a suspect earlier. Surely I would know if that man had done anything to him._

Sebastian turned a corner, following the Doctor and Rose without much effort. _Humans are so easy to detect. Most of them just fumble around aimlessly, filled with their petty sins and desires; leaving the stench from their putrid souls where ever they walk. _Sebastian thought with hints of disgust on his face. _However, that 'Doctor' isn't a human, he's something else entirely. His soul is so much older and stronger than any I've known. Just what is that man?_

The sound of a chainsaw starting ripped the butler out of his musings.

Sebastian began to sprint towards the abrasive noise. He knew immediately that it came from that thick headed, ridiculously transgendered shinigami. And that meant trouble of the highest degree.

* * *

"Ah~ I have no threes. Go fish, Ran Mao." Lau said as Ciel entered the room.

She picked up a card obediently and looked quietly over at the young Earl.

"Lau? What are you doing here?" Ciel asked shortly.

"I came to see you, Earl." the Chinese man replied happily. "We're playing go fish – want to join?"

"No I don't. I am rather busy. You may stay if you want, but please do not disturb me unless you have something important to say." the boy said, turning to exit the room.

"Ah, young Earl that sounds fair, I suppose." Lau said leaning back on the sofa. "Incidentally, there is something that might catch your interest. There's a new up and comer of the underworld, Ash Tremet. Have you heard of him?"

* * *

The Doctor thrust Rose behind him protectively as the unknown assailant quickly cut through the door. He began backing up and held out the sonic screwdriver.

A flash of red burst through the door frame as a man dashed across the room, his swinging chainsaw narrowly missing the TARDIS controls.

A black blur darted in front of the red figure, moving too fast for eyes to follow. Hands clapped on either side of the chainsaw, stopping its movement.

"It's that butler!" Rose said astonished.

"But that's not humanly possible." The Doctor pointed out in disbelief.

"Sebas-chan!" the red haired man shrieked girlishly, his sharp teeth visible from across the room.

He abruptly slung his modified death scythe over his shoulder and beamed, seemingly delighted that the butler was here. Sebastian scowled in return, and then straightened his clothes.

"Would you mind telling us what's going on?" the Doctor asked, still standing protectively in front of Rose.

"Yeah," said Rose. "What's happ'ning?"

Sebastian looked at the pair. "This is Grell Sutcliff. He is… unique."

"Unique is an understatement, I mean – just look at his bright red hair an' sharp teeth! And he's carrying a chainsaw!" Rose paused looking thoughtful, then added in a whisper. "Should chainsaws even be around now, Doctor?"

"No. The chainsaw was invented in 1927 and it was so big it needed several people to man it. It wasn't until 1940s that it became smaller and looked like that. It's a good 50 years before its time." the Doctor replied quietly to Rose.

"You know these people Sebas-chan?" Grell said, peeking around the demon. "He's not your boyfriend, is he? You should know I'm the only one for you!"

"Hardly," Sebastian said coldly. "I have orders to see that this man and girl come to no harm."

"Is he single then? He's kinda cute." The shinigami continued, examining the Doctor with interest from across the room.

"He should meet Jack," Rose remarked to the Doctor with a smile. "They'd get along famously."

"Why are you here Grell?" Sebastian asked.

The shinigami pouted. "Well, I've been taken off duty for the time being, on account of me being a distraction to my colleagues because I'm so sexy."

"Is there anything _important_ you can tell me about? Perhaps a word of unusual activity?" the butler continued, trying to pry as much information as possible from the scarlet haired man.

Rose and the Doctor watched on with interest.

"I dunno about important, but recently William's been saying that more people than are supposed to are dying, and something strange was going on. He didn't go into any details though." Grell said. "Speaking of important, my Sebas-chan, will you come on a date with me?"

"I appreciate your help, Grell Sutcliff, but I am very busy and do not have time to spare with you. This gentleman and the girl own this contraption and I'm sure they would be most thankful if you would vacate their premises." Sebastian said smoothly and ushered him out.

He turned to the Doctor. "The young master expects you back as soon as possible. Please, follow me back to the manor."

"There's no need for that," The Doctor said dismissively, walking up to the control panel and fiddling with a lever. "I can get us there faster. Shut that door will you? And hold on tight."

* * *

Rose exited the TARDIS first, followed by Sebastian. His eyebrows raised in uncharacteristic surprise at the familiar landscape.

"We're at the manor." the butler stated, his voice somewhat distant.

"Yessir. Phantomhive estate, sir!" Rose teased, grinning as the Doctor came out of the TARDIS.

"It just sort of disappears and reappears somewhere else. It's a long story." The Doctor said vaguely, carrying the Drashig-Tracker and locking the doors.

Sebastian opened up the front door and led the pair inside, glancing at the Doctor with a guarded expression.

"This way," He said shortly, ushering the two towards the drawing room.

The butler opened the door for Rose and she noticed, too late, that the Earl was also trying to walk through it. They collided and she saw Sebastian swiftly move, catching the boy effortlessly.

"Put me down, Sebastian." Ciel said icily. "And you should watch where you're walking."

"Right!" The Doctor said striding past the butler gently replacing his master on his feet. "I need to perfect my tracking system, and we need a plan."

"Yes," the young Earl replied, glaring as Sebastian dusted him off theatrically with a smirk. "We do need a plan. We need to trap it before it strikes again."

"I guessing you need to bait the trap?" Lau said, from his game of cards in the corner of the room. "Ran Mao here is perfect for being bait. Anything would be willing to be trapped for her."

Ciel raised an eyebrow. "Surprisingly, that is a good suggestion. We could use her to trap this creature, is that correct Doctor?"

"Yes, I suppose it could be possible if I'm really very clever, and I am." The Doctor said in a self assured tone. "But we'd need to be able to get her out of harms way before it kills her. And I'm not sure I could do that."

"I'll have Sebastian take care of that." Ciel replied.

"Excellent! I shall make sure my Ran Mao is prepared… So, what's happening?" Lau asked, head tilting to the side quizzically.

The boy sighed. "So you didn't know what was going on after all?"

* * *

The dark figure had returned to the dank cavern. He tapped the same continuous rhythm on the wall as he walked slowly towards the caged creatures. They were restless again. Hungry.

He examined the pair of Drashig circling in their enclosure, and noticed that one moved stiffly.

"Did that nasty fork leave a lasting wound on my poor little Drashig?" The figure cooed at the injured creature.

A soft whine built up in the throat of the beast, and was quickly echoed by its companion.

"Why don't you take revenge then?" He said, and pressed a button that opened the gate.

The Drashig rushed out together, through the dark sewers and into the night.

* * *

**A/N:** Well this got finished before I thought it would, unfortunately the 'edit' button on the story tab hasn't been working so I haven't been able to actually upload it properly until now. I actually like this chapter, though. I hope everyone else does, and continues to enjoy the story. Thanks everyone for actually liking this story as much as you all seem to. It still baffles me utterly, as much as it makes me overjoyed.

Also, I hate Rose's accent. It has been annoying me for some time. I hope people can get over it, and not hate me too much for it.

Next chapter probably won't be out for a while. I am up to my eyeballs in assignments for uni. Maybe bits will get done during times of procrastination...

Oh, also, before I forget, if anyone's a Bleach fan, and doesn't mind OC's, go check out nzotaku's fanfic - it's epic!


	6. Doll in the Gutter

**A/N: **_Hi all. Thanks for being so patient, and I'm sorry I haven't updated in a while – it's just been so busy lately. I just wanted to say thanks to everyone for reading my fanfiction and for favouriting it and writing reviews. It really is awesome to get such support for which started out as such a vague and unlikely concept to being 6 chapters in and is not likely to end any time soon. On another note I got a Sebby plushie for my birthday which made me ecstatic. =) _

_**Disclaimer:**__ Neither Doctor Who nor Kuroshitsuji are mine. Nor will ever be. =). _

* * *

The Doctor walked across a courtyard cul-de-sac to where Sebastian was standing. Ciel was beside him, fuming silently as he adjusted Bard's chef coat on his shoulders.  
"Right, you know what to do?" The Doctor asked.  
"When the Drashig gets within perimeter of the trap I am to pull this lever," Sebastian said steadily, gesturing at it. "Then continue to hold it down until you give the signal."  
The Doctor nodded, and then looked at Ciel, who was glaring at him.  
"Why must I wear this?" He asked venomously, pulling at the oversized garment.  
"The Drashig will be searching for you, not your chef, and the fact that he smokes helps mask your scent." The Doctor said matter-of-factly. "That's why that girl is wearing your coat. She is the bait."

The Doctor strode back across the courtyard to his station, and crouched down to wait. Rose stood with Lau, watching the entrance to the area carefully, her hand firmly on the lever. Ciel tried to put the mental image of wearing the large, ridiculous chef costume out of his mind. Soon it began to rain, the pitter-patter of the drops breaking the drawn out silence.

Then they heard it. That awful, ear-splitting shriek.

A Drashig came around a corner, charging towards the quiet Asian girl. It screamed again, and the Doctor noticed that beneath the screech of hunger there were undertones of fear and anger.

"NOW!" The Doctor yelled as the creature dashed within the borders of the trap.

The three levers were pulled simultaneously – the Demon, the Human and the Time Lord each holding one down firmly. Electricity sparked through wires surrounding the beast in a wide circle, stopping just short of Ran Mao. The Drashig tried attack the girl, but rebounded off an invisible wall. It gave off another shrill noise, full of frustration and pain. Its food was so close, yet it could not reach it.

The Doctor wound a rope around his lever to hold it down before he ran into the TARDIS, skidding on the wet flagstones on the way. He quickly flipped some switches and twirled a handle, ducking at a popping sound as sparks showered down on him. The Doctor rushed around the control panel, twisting dials and pressing buttons ignoring the various beeps, crackles and bangs from the TARDIS, and trying to keep on task.  
A small screen above him suddenly produced the word 'Complete' in bright blue letters. The Doctor relaxed, changed a few more settings before he went out, signalling the others.

"It should be safe to let go now." He said loudly.

Rose smiled with relief, wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as she released the handle. Sebastian let go cautiously, making sure he was still between the Drashig and his bocchan, not quite trusting the trap to be safe.  
The captured creature whined as a new scream rang through the courtyard. Slowly, the group turned as one towards the sound, each surprised at what they saw.

The new Drashig appeared, its head rising over a rooftop as it climbed, eyeing Rose and Lau with wary interest. It could see its pack mate lying on the ground and hear its pitiful whines, and didn't want to make the same mistake.

"Don't. Move." The Doctor said, his voice low with warning. "Nobody move or it could be the last thing you do. It hasn't chosen a target yet but if you move it might decide that it wants to eat you and I won't be able to stop it."  
"Doctor, it's looking at me." Rose said, standing very still.

A spark suddenly shot out of the equipment closest to the new Drashig. Rose's wide eyes flicked to it and chills ran down her spine as the lever started to move of its own accord.

"Doctor, what will happen if a lever goes up?" Rose asked.  
"It breaks free. And that girl dies." the Doctor said.

The lever inched upwards.

* * *

Putrid fumes rose from the chimney of a pub, and tobacco smoke poured out of the crack in a window. Despite this, the building had the impression of being an almost high-class establishment. Through the drizzle, a figure in a black trench coat walked up to the door and opened it.

"Oh, Mr Tremet, what can I do for you today?" An attractive woman asked as he reached the counter.  
"Just the usual brandy for me, my dear Marianne." He winked at her as he walked past to take his usual table near the back of the room.

The waitress blushed and smiled, leaving the counter to fetch his drink. He drummed his fingers out of habit, rather than impatience, and settled in to wait. It wouldn't be long.

A burly man sat down across from him and without a word put a suitcase on the table. Tremet opened it a crack, satisfied to see it filled with money.  
"And here is my contribution to the high and mighty." He said sarcastically, tossing a leather bag towards the thug.  
The thug caught it expertly, and checked that the product was there. It never hurt to make sure, but someone certainly would make him hurt if it _wasn't_ checked. His bosses liked hurting people to put a stop to things like stupidity and negligence.

Mr Tremet watched lazily as the thug examined the bag, got up and left the room. He drank the rest of his brandy and stood to exit the pub.

The waitress returned, and felt disappointed that he didn't even say goodbye.

* * *

The lever inched upwards.

Lau reached out and quickly pulled the lever back down. He wasn't just going to let his Ran Mao be monster food. The Drashig whipped its head towards the Chinese man, letting out a hunting cry.  
Rose's eyes widened as it lunged off the roof towards him and she dived instinctively to try and save him. She hit the ground on top of Lau as the creature surged over them both.

"No!" screamed the Doctor.

The claws of the Drashig sliced through Rose's shirt and she cried out in pain as they tore through her skin.

"Kill it Sebastian!" said Ciel.  
"Yes, my Lord." Sebastian said, rising from a swift bow and dashing across the courtyard. He flicked several knives at the creature, burying them deep in the hide of the Drashig.  
It screamed in pain and anger, forgetting all about the human quarry.

The Doctor watched with horrified fascination. _That butler is __**fast**__. Incredibly fast. I almost want to call him supernaturally fast. Not a lot can compete with a Drashigs speed and this butler, this… Sebastian is outpacing it. No wonder the boy is still alive, with something like **that** on his side._

Forks flew and buried themselves in the creature's side, and it shrieked again. The Doctor barely had enough time to register that this fearsome beast was being wounded by cutlery, of all things, before it attempted to flee.  
Sebastian moved to block the way so swiftly he seemed to appear there by magic, throwing more silverware at the animal. The Drashig, learning the demon's attacks, dodged the projectiles, then caught one knife in its toothy mouth and ate it. The butler quirked an eyebrow in surprise, and then ran at the creature directly, an evil glint in his eyes.

The Doctor ran to where Rose was lying and was glad to see that although she was pretty badly hurt she wasn't actually torn to ribbons, as he feared. He helped her up, half supporting and half dragging her in an attempt to get to safety. Lau quickly rose and helped the Doctor lift the girl, and beckoning Ran Mao to follow. The captured Drashig whined as it watched at the entire scene powerless and pitiful.

Sebastian stabbed a handful of forks in between the Drashigs armour plating, twisting viciously. The Drashig's leg lashed out in defence but the butler deftly ducked under it, grabbing the appendage. When he tugged, the leg separated from the body and the Drashig shrieked in agony, writhing desperately to escape. It ran as fast as it could past Sebastian, who made a move to block its escape.

"Stop," said the Doctor. "It's going to run back to its home. We need to find that home. It won't try to hunt again tonight, and we need to patch up Rose."

The butler stopped and looked to Ciel, who nodded.

"I can stop the bleeding," Sebastian offered. "It would only be temporary for now, but I could put in stitches once we have returned to the manor."  
"Good. I'll get this in storage." The Doctor replied, gesturing at the captured Drashig.  
He made sure the butler had Rose well supported before he eased away.

The Doctor walked into the TARDIS. He typed something on a keyboard, held down a button and stretched out with his other hand to reach a lever, but was a few inches short.  
"Oh come on!" he yelled in frustration as he just reached the lever and his fingers slid off the button.  
Lau peered inside.  
"You!" The Doctor said, "Hold this down for me will you?"

Outside, Ciel watched, fascinated, as the wire circle slowly became smaller and the force-field became increasingly visible. The Drashig whined pitifully as it moved around its new prison restlessly.

The Doctor came out of the TARDIS, followed by Lau. The sphere containing the captured beast was dragged towards the TARDIS by an invisible force, and the Doctor closed the doors as soon as the creature was inside.

"That'll hold it." the Doctor said, then turned towards Sebastian, "How is she doing?"  
"She'll live." the butler replied shortly.  
The Doctor sighed in relief.

* * *

Ash Tremet stalked through the dim, damp streets. He rounded a corner and suddenly a man leaped out with a knife in hand. It was fairly rusty but was also big, serrated and looked reasonably dangerous.

"Give me all your money!" The mugger demanded.

The drug dealer rolled his eyes, pulled out a strange rod like device. He pressed a button which lit a bright light on one end. The mugger screamed as he began to shrink, his voice fading away into silence.

A shabby fabric doll that very much resembled the mugger dropped into the gutter as Ash Tremet walked away.

"Humans." he spat with disgust.

* * *

**A/N:** _Thanks again guys for reading and enjoying the story so far. I will __try__ to update at least every fortnight as best as I can. It'll be getting busy again soon, unfortunately. So please continue to have patience and I'll try to make long, good, plot filled chapters. Oh, and if people feel like having some more Grell around, please tell me. I don't have much more in the way of plot for him just now, and I'm wondering if I should try to work him into it some more.  
Oh, and this last bit could be a dead give away as to whom Tremet really is, but that was kinda the point. _


	7. Snakes and Ladders

A well dressed man pressed his hand hard on a thug's throat in a dim alleyway.  
"Where was the drug sourced from?" The aristocrat demanded, punching the man in the gut. "Three of my best men are dead and _you-" _a second punch to the stomach caused the thug to gurgle, "-delivered it. _What was it laced with?_"

"Got it… from Tremet. Ash Tremet." the words choked out from the man. "Didn't… know… it was bad."

"I want all my money back! And a head hunt for that _bastard_, Tremet! _Spread_. _The._ _Word_." Each word was emphasised by another winding blow to the stomach. "His crack can't be trusted and England needs the upper class! Dropping dead from tainted product is not on the agenda!"

The rich man dropped the thug, and walked away stiffly. The thug clutched his throat and gasped for air.

* * *

At the manor Rose winced as Sebastian stitched the wounds on her back.

"If only there were some of Jack's nanogens 'round, eh Doctor? I'd be patched up in no-time at all." she said smiling, trying to make light of the situation.  
"True, but we don't want another load of the Gas Mask monsters asking for their mummies, do we?" The Doctor replied.

Lau looked quizzical as Rose shuddered slightly, causing Sebastian frown in mild annoyance.

The Doctor thought for a moment. "That t-shirt…you were wearing it back then too, right?"  
"Yeah, it must be my bad-luck shirt. First a barrage balloon dangles me over thin air and now a Drashig cuts me up. The shirt's completely ruined now though," Rose said, looking slightly disappointed, then brightened up. "So I guess I might get some good luck soon."

Just then, a faint knock came from the front doors, and someone must have opened it since the sound of footsteps pelting down the corridor could be heard. The doors to the room were dramatically flung open in haste, and the panting messenger stood in the door way, scanning the room for Lau.  
"Mister Lau, Mister Lau! There's bin a 'mergency. There was a bad deal with Tremet an' now twen'y six upperclasser's are dead!"

Lau raised his eyebrows in surprise and got up slowly.  
"Ah, I better go then." he said, as he drifted towards the showing no signs of concern.

"Bye everyone!" He said cheerfully, turning to wave briefly at the assembled company. "Excuse me Earl, I have business." he said loudly into the hallway, while tugging gently at Ran Mao.

"Wait a second, what?" the Doctor said, getting up in alarm. "Twenty six people are _dead_? What happened?"  
Sebastian looked up calmly from the stitching "It is no concern of yours. That man will deal with the situation as he sees fit."  
Lau smiled broadly, and went to leave the room.  
"That doesn't seem… good." Rose said uncomfortably.

"I'm surprised you are not stitching her yourself. I thought you were a doctor." Ciel said as he entered the room, ignoring Lau and Ran Mao completely as they exited.  
"We-ell, it's kinda complicated." The Doctor said uncomfortably, scratching the back of his head.

"He's just the Doctor. That's who he is." Rose said defensively, crossing her arms and grimacing with the pain.

* * *

Ash Tremet made his way back into the dark cavern, and was surprised to see only one Drashig there, cowering and whining. A frown crept over his face as he noticed how badly it was injured. There was pale blue-green blood nearly covered the beast, some even pooling on the floor around it, but a splash of red caught Tremet's eye.

"What have we here?"

The Drashig looked up at him with malice in its eyes, snapping weakly as Tremet approached the creature.  
"Tch! Stop that. Obey your master." He scolded.  
The large beast glared at the man but made no further moves to harm him. Tremet reached down to its foot without fear and ran his finger along the claw. He examined the blood, and then sniffed at it.

"Human and a Time Traveller… Hmmm, it looks like the Doctor has himself a companion." Tremet stood up, smiling. "What luck."

* * *

"All done." Sebastian said, standing.  
"That was quick. And very well done, I must say." The Doctor admitted.  
"What would a Phantomhive butler be if he couldn't do such a thing?" Sebastian said, smiling slightly.

_Human_, The Doctor thought darkly, _which you aren't_.

"Anyway, I need someone to help me get stuff for perfecting the Drashig Tracker," The Doctor said, beginning to pace, "And Rose, you're obviously out and I doubt Mister Earl over there will want to run around fetching stuff so that leaves-" He stopped in front of the butler and looked up at him, "-you."

Sebastian's eyes flicked over to Ciel who nodded almost imperceptibly, then he said "Certainly. However, I must ask that I serve tea to the Young Master first."

"I fancy a cuppa." Rose piped up hopefully, but a pointed expression from the Doctor caused her to roll her eyes and rephrase, "I mean, may I also have a cup of tea?"

The demon butler nodded slightly, and bowed as he left the room.

* * *

The Doctor opened the TARDIS doors with Sebastian following behind him. He pulled out a huge tangled mess of wires, a box full of what looked like junk and rummaged around the light bulbs and miscellaneous circuitry before he managed to grab the Drashig Tracker.

He plugged a few wires into the machine and took out his sonic screwdriver.

"I need a thing, a thing, ah," The Doctor said, clicking his fingers, "Its the thing you beat eggs with, ah – a whisk! I need a whisk! With a handle and a spinny thing. It's a whisk. I need a mechanical whisk!" The Doctor held his hand out expectantly.

Sebastian stared at it, blankly.

"Well, what are you waiting for? Use that speed of yours to get me a whisk!"

* * *

Tea in hand, Rose tried to think of something to say. Something – anything – to break the frosty silence between her and the boy.  
"So that Sebastian… He's pretty amazing." She ventured.  
Ciel flicked his eye up from his tea to examine her, and raised an eyebrow.

"Yes." He said, taking a careful sip from his cup.

Rose waited for more, but when it was clear that nothing more was forthcoming she decided to change tactic. She might not be able to talk to an earl, but she knew how to talk to a kid.  
"What's your favourite game?"  
Ciel blinked in surprise. He was expecting more of the formal small talk, not a direct question about such casual things.

"Chess," He said. "I like chess. Do you play?"

* * *

"So, Mister Sebastian… what exactly are you? You aren't human." the Doctor asked, taking a wrench from his white gloved hand.

"I could ask you the same question." the butler replied smoothly.  
_This man knows I'm not human? This could be… troublesome. _Sebastian thought, his eyes glowing dangerously when the Doctor wasn't looking.

The Doctor stiffened slightly, then replied, "Could you? And if I answered you would you answer me? Without just telling me you're one hell of a butler."  
Sebastian was surprised - he hadn't expected _that_ from the man. "Perhaps. If the Young Master ordered me to." the butler admitted.

"Hmmm," the Doctor mused, then focused on the task. "I need a light bulb and an ionic conversion matrix."

Sebastian paused momentarily. "We do not have any light bulbs in the manor. And I do not know what an 'ionic conversion matrix' is."

"The light bulbs are in the box over there," the Doctor said, pointing with the wrench in his hand. "And the ionic conversion matrix looks like a red, unshelled peanut. Same box."

* * *

Tremet walked with purpose through the dank sewer system. He stepped in a puddle and scowled at having a sopping wet trouser leg. Where he was heading was a distance away from the Drashig enclosure. It needed to be. There was no way he would let the beasts be anywhere near such fragile and potentially dangerous equipment.

"When will you catch up to me, Doctor?" He asked, smugly into the gloom.

He walked towards a concrete pillar covered in graffiti. He tugged gently on a metal coat hook and a door pulled opened.

Light poured out of the door, making the huge room glow strangely.

Examining his fingers he stepped inside, closing the pillar-door behind him.

* * *

"Checkmate." Ciel said calmly, as he moved his knight into position.

"You're very good at this." Rose said, smiling and packing away the marble game pieces. "I thought I was okay at chess, but I really can't play compared to you. It was fun though."  
"We could play a different game if you like." Ciel offered.

She thought for a while – trying to think of any old games she could play. "Well, my mum taught me how to play tiddlywinks -"  
"Your mother?" Ciel interrupted incredulously. "But it only was brought out last year!"  
"Oh. Right... Anyway, I don't play it well." Rose said, wishing her knowledge of games histories were a little better. "So why don't you suggest a game?"

"I do have this new game. It's a prototype based off a game of 'karma' from India." Ciel said, walking over to a shelf and pulling out a plain cardboard box. He opened the box on the table and unfolded the board inside.

"It's called Snakes and Ladders."

* * *

Sebastian carefully examined the Doctor as he worked on the Drashig tracker.

_This man is intelligent – unusually so, by human standards. But then, he is undoubtedly not human. He realised I was not human as I noticed the same about him, _The demon thought. _His soul – there is something so different, so unusual… just so alien about this Doctor. And another thing – he __**has**__ a soul, despite being even older than I. How can he be older than a being of Hell and still have a soul? Just what is he?_

"I just need to reroute it through the TARDIS circuits and triplicate the transmission output then change the integral from four to, oh I don't know, say twelve?" the Doctor said, holding up the device. "Ooh, no, it's more like twelve point three, and then I'll have to divide the sub-multiplier by the square root of the genetic disambiguation sequence. What do you think?"

Sebastian just stared at him in utter incomprehension, his manners thrown out the window in the face of such rambling.

"It's almost done." the Doctor clarified. "Can you get Rose and the kid? We're going to find our culprit."

* * *

Ash Tremet wiped the blood he collected from the Drashig on a small glass circle. He inserted the slide into a complicated machine and began drumming his fingers on his leg. A light on the side of the machine changed colour from green to red, and then began to flash. Tremet's mouth curved into a wicked grin, and he pulled a lever.

In the cavern, the concrete pillar disappeared almost silently.

* * *

**A/N: **Chapter 7 is finally finished! I'm very sorry I took so long to write it. The bit with Lau leaving was giving me a lot of trouble, and I have been busy, like everyone, with assignments and projects and now my exams are coming up but I needed to submit this. And I hope people have figured Tremet out, at least a little. Anyway, I am quite proud of all the rambling Doctor bits I put in. Also, I took a little liberty with the Snakes and Ladders since it came out a few years after this is set, but since Ciel has had contact with Prince Soma I thought I could get away with it. Oh, and the Doctor's second ramble doesn't actually mean anything. Sorry. Chapter 8 might be a wee while off yet, but I hope that it could be done-ish by the end of June, and put up here early July sometime.

Thank you everyone who reads this story, reviews it or put it into the story alert or favourite story. It really means a lot to me and it really encourages me to keep at it, and not let it wither away into oblivion. It wouldn't have got this far without you all, so thanks.

Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it!


	8. Unlikely Alliance

Rose liked playing Snakes and Ladders – no skill was needed, only a little luck. The fact that skill wasn't part of the game, however, did not stop Ciel throwing her smug looks when he climbed a ladder, or when Rose slid down a snake. It was irritating how he seemed to have no concept of sportsmanship, and it annoyed her further that she was getting so wound up by the kid's superiority.

She threw a three and climbed a ladder, putting her several squares ahead of Ciel. She passed the dice to the boy, trying not to smirk.

As Ciel went to throw the dice a faint drumming sound started up – a quiet tapping on a hard surface, making him pause. The room became dimmer, and a transparent figure appeared a short distance away.

Rose's eyes widened in surprise and realisation, because it had happened to her once before.

A TARDIS was materialising around them.

And it wasn't making a sound.

* * *

The hairs on the back of the Doctor's hand stood on end and a chill ran down his spine.

"Just a second," he said, as Sebastian opened the front door to fetch Ciel and Rose. "Do you feel that?"  
"No, I do not." Sebastian said stiffly, walking back to the man. The Doctor got on his nerves _almost_ as much as Grell did.

"Something weird is happening nearby and it's making my hairs stand on end." the Doctor said, shivering.  
Sebastian raised an eyebrow in scepticism but said nothing. The butler moved in front of the other man then crouched down, attempting to perceive what the Doctor was feeling. The butler looked at him and raised a quizzical eyebrow.

"Don't you feel that? Can't you feel it at all?" The Doctor said as he shivered again.

Realisation suddenly dawned on his face.

"Oh, no. _Rose!_" The Doctor said with urgency. He went from his crouching position into a full sprint and was through the manor doors in less than a second.

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~

"Doctor!" Rose yelled.  
She grabbed Ciel's hand and tugged him out of his seat.  
"We have to get out of here!" She said to him desperately then raised her voice again. "Doctor!"

~~~~~~~~.~~~~~~~~

"Doctor!"  
The sound of Rose's voice spurred the Doctor to run even faster. He burst through the double doors to see a glimpse of her distressed face before what seemed to be a bookcase solidified completely around her and Ciel.  
"Rose, no!" the Doctor yelled, hammering his fists on the bookcase. "No! _Rose_!"

Sebastian appeared behind him, and looked at the bookcase in the middle of the room with confusion. His eyes widened as he realised that Ciel was not in the room.

"_What happened to the Young Master_?"

"The kid and Rose are _in_ here!" The Doctor yelled to the butler. "We've got to get them out before it disappears!"

* * *

Rose glanced around the strangely lit room, eyes darting to the tall, dark figure standing by the red glowing control panel. She put herself in front of Ciel, instinctively shielding him from the unknown man. There was no way she would let a kid be the first one to get hurt if it was going to come to that.

"W-What do you want?" Rose said, trying to sound as steady as she could. "And who are you, anyway?"

"I want the world to burn, the Doctor dead and the human race extinguished." Ash Tremet said, tapping his fingers on his leg and stepping into the light.

"And I am… The Master."

"You're a… Time Lord, aren't you?" Rose asked cautiously. She didn't feel like she was in any immediate danger from the Master, but remained wary of him all the same.

_What in Hell's name is the girl talking about? A Time Lord? Just what is that supposed to mean?_ Ciel thought, trying to peer around Rose while keeping her body as a shield between himself and the man.

"Yes." The Master replied, his voice pleasant and strangely jovial. "Now, if you'd be so kind and just walk over to that platform over there, I'd be most grateful. I can't have you wandering around my TARDIS now, can I?"

"I'll do no such thing." Ciel said hotly.

"I think you'll find you will. Quickly now, hop to it." The Master said with a gesture in the platforms direction.

Rose and Ciel then indeed felt themselves complying with the request, and outrage emerged in the boy's face. He was unused to doing obeying the orders of others, unless by the Queen herself.

As they got onto the platform a pale green force-field surrounded them. The Master smiled charismatically and pushed the button to begin dematerialisation.

* * *

Sebastian's world went cold as the bookcase began to disappear in front of him. He could feel Ciel's presence becoming fainter, as if he was getting further away… or dying.

The Doctor continued to hammer desperately on the wood, pounding until his fists passed straight through the shelf.

"I can't believe this. This can't be happening," The Doctor said "I thought I was alone but someone else is there and they've taken Rose."

Sebastian moved so quickly he was a blur – suddenly pressing the other man against a wall. His eyes glowed menacingly as he glared at the Doctor.  
"Where is my Young Master?" he hissed, "What do you know?"

"Put me down!" The Doctor said with indignation. "And it's hardly like I've got anything to do with this. If I did plan to capture the Earl, do you really think I'd let Rose get caught up in it?"

"I don't care about that pathetic girl; I just want my Young Master back."  
"Don't you talk about Rose like that!" The Doctor yelled, getting visibly riled.  
"I'll talk about that human morsel anyway I choose." Sebastian said, his voice low and threatening. "The Young Master is in danger and you _will_ help me find him."

"Oh, you did _not_ just say that about Rose! Your '_young master'_ is a spoilt brat who wouldn't know manners if they bit him on the leg! He's a stupid ignorant child!"  
"The Young Master may be many things but stupid and rude he is not, and you are a blind old fool if you think that to be true!" Sebastian's voice shook with uncharacteristic rage and he let go of the Doctor in disgust.

It was then that the Doctor finally realised how odd the butler's eyes were.

"…How long have your eyes looked like that?"

* * *

Rose watched as the Master pressed multiple buttons before he left the control room, not saying a word. This TARDIS was eerie. It was so quiet, so calm… apart from that almost imperceptible tappity-tap rhythm coming from somewhere below them. It was enough to drive someone _mental_.

"Are you alright?" Rose asked quietly.  
Ciel looked at the girl in disdain. "I'm fine. I have been in much worse situations than this."  
"Really?" Rose said, surprised at this. "But you're just a kid."  
"I'm not a child." he said venomously.  
"Geez, sorry, I didn't mean to offend you." Rose said.

She sat down on the small bench provided in the force-field and gestured that Ciel could sit down beside her.

"The Doctor will come and get us." She said, after a long pause. "Just you wait and see, he'll find us."  
Ciel smirked and rolled his visible eye. "If anyone's going to be doing the finding it's Sebastian. He never fails."

Curiousity got the better of Rose. "Why does your butler do _everything_? I mean, you have other servants, I saw them. But from what I heard he cooks, cleans, fixes things, tutors you and does anything you tell him in between! Why don't you have family to look after you instead of only Sebastian?"

Ciel looked away, unable to give an explanation without talking about the ordeals he suffered, and he couldn't relive them again.

* * *

Sebastian's eyes widened in surprise and they quickly reverted to their usual reddish-brown hue as he looked away. He didn't realise he had become so agitated, but there was just _something_ about the Doctor that so easily provoked him. Never before had he felt the need to defend his bocchan with such vehemence.

The Doctor eyed Sebastian warily. While it was clear there was something to figure out, there were more important things to deal with - with rescuing Rose at the top of the list, and the kid a close second. While the Doctor would be the first to admit he didn't trust the man before him he concluded that Sebastian would a useful ally and a dangerous enemy. Even though they had different priorities, teaming up would be their best and probably only chance to save both Rose and Ciel.

"Right then," the Doctor said, running his fingers through his hair and pacing around the room. "That was a TARDIS, like mine, and that means I'm not the only one. But it also means, given everything that's been happening in London these past few weeks, that I know who was in it."

"How bad is the situation then?" Sebastian enquired, suddenly polite at the thought of progress towards finding his master.

"It's bad. It's very, very bad. Because he's known as the Master and he is insane. And you know what's worse?" The Doctor said, looking over his shoulder to the butler.

"He's just as clever as me."

* * *

"I'm not trying to be nosy or anything. I was just wondering why Sebastian is so important to you." Rose said, reaching out to comfort Ciel.  
"Don't touch me." Ciel said warningly. "Sebastian is just one of my pawns."  
Rose withdrew her hand slowly, unfazed by the withering glare from the boy.

"What is a 'Time Lord'?" Ciel asked, in an effort to change the topic.  
"Well…" Rose began, hesitating slightly. "You know how the Drashig's are from a different world? Well, so is the Doctor."  
Ciel nodded and Rose was stunned that he accepted this revelation so easily.  
"The Doctor is an alien, a Time Lord. He's nine hundred years old and he will find us. He'll save us, I know it."

Ciel raised his eyebrows, unable to contain his surprise at the Doctor's age.  
"But you're not…?"  
"No, I'm human. Human as they come." Rose said, almost to herself. "But I'm far from home… I'm from London, but in the future - about a hundred years from now. You see, I'm sorta the Doctor's companion. We travel together and he takes me to all sorts of places. Places you wouldn't believe."

"Like what?" Ciel asked, curious as to what could be so mindboggling.  
"I've seen Charles Dickens on Christmas," she said, smiling slightly. "The town was being invaded by gas creatures who took over dead bodies. I've seen the end of the world, in the year _five billion._ I've been in _space_ and seen _aliens_. It's amazing."

The earl raised his eyebrows but said nothing, unable to formulate a response.

"The Doctor even took me back to the day my dad died." Rose said, traces of sadness lacing her words. "So he wouldn't die alone – so that I could be there for him."  
"You couldn't save him?" Ciel asked.  
"I did." she chuckled mirthlessly. "I managed to rip a hole in the fabric of reality. The universe would have stopped existing if my dad didn't put it right."  
"By dying?"  
"Yeah." Rose said shortly, looking away.  
"…All of my family are dead too." the young earl stated, and mentally kicked himself.

_I was trying to get information about this situation, not sharing sob stories of my life! _Ciel thought, with aggravation and disbelief. _Why would I tell her about my family...? I guess it just seemed like the right thing to say._

"I'm sorry to hear that." Rose said kindly, resisting the urge to pat him on the shoulder.

* * *

The Doctor was pacing around the room attempting to think. "Where are some abandoned places? Anywhere he could live unnoticed?"

"Hyde Park is a possibility. There are very few people there at this time of year, and it is remarkably large." Sebastian said.  
"No," The Doctor said, waving his hand dismissively. "It's too public. Anyone could find him there."

"Highgate Cemetery is private, perhaps he resides there?" Sebastian suggested, after a mere moment of thought.  
"I doubt it. It wouldn't be splendid enough for him to live there." The Doctor said rolling his eyes. "He calls himself the _Master_; he likes things to be ostentatious."

"A castle then, perhaps?" Sebastian offered, slightly stiffly. "There's a ruined castle in the middle of Hampstead Heath. It is a few streets south east of the manor."  
"Now that's perfect!" The Doctor exclaimed enthusiastically. "We'd better get going if we want to get there before dawn."  
"We aren't using your machine?" Sebastian asked sceptically.

"No." The Doctor said pulling a face. "The Master is clever, he'll be using a genetic deadlock on the whole area – we wouldn't even get close with the TARDIS before he knows about it. And I don't doubt he'll have an augmented alarm system around the perimeter, and that means that anything bigger than a person will trigger it and we really don't want the Master to have time to throw us a welcome party."

"We go on foot then." Sebastian said, summing up the Doctor's words efficiently.  
"We go on foot." The Doctor agreed.

"Know what else?" The Doctor continued, a grin appearing on his face. "We should probably run."

* * *

**A/N: Hello everyone, chapter 8 is finally done - huzzah! Thank you all for being so patient **(admittedly, not by choice)** with it. Don't worry, all you Grell fans in the audience, he will be making a reappearance, along with a couple more awesome & much loved shinigami** (such as Ronald and William) **a couple of chapters from now, but it is a definate thing. =) I hope you all enjoyed this chapter, and thanks so much for everyone who considers my story to be worthy of reading, reviews, alerts or favourites - it is always appreciated to hear good things about my writing. **

**Thanks again to everyone who has the patience to read my story! You guys make my day!**


	9. Devil's in the Details

**A/N:** **I just want to say that this chapter comes with a warning - there is some bad language in this chapter. Nothing particularly harsh, but I thought I should warn anyone who really despises it. If you don't like it, it's just in the gangster bits - so sue me (or don't) so you can just gloss over those bits a lil.  
**

**Disclaimer**: I (obviously) do not own Doctor Who or Kuroshitsuji

**Anyway, I hope you all enjoy it!**

* * *

"It's Tremet!" A young man yelled into a dark, crowded room. "I found out where he stays!"  
"Then tell us, boy." boomed a bulky man from his chair in the middle of the room, clearly the leader of the gang. Those surrounding quickly cleared a path between their boss and the messenger.

"He's at the castle - the castle up at Hampstead Heath!" The younger man said, wisely ignoring the boy comment. "It's his base of operations."  
"Spread the word of his location." The drug lord said. "We're gonna kill that son-of-a-bitch, and _nobody_ will want to miss that."

The messenger left the room, and the boss turned to the crowd behind him.  
"Well? You heard me! Get your guns and load up the cars – we're heading to Hampstead Heath!" 

* * *

Rose and Ciel watched as the Master swaggered into the control room.

"We will be landing any moment, ladies and gentlemen," the Master announced jovially. "Please ensure your seat backs are upright and your tray tables are folded away. And if we do suffer a crash landing, respect the other patrons and die _quietly_."

_What the hell is he talking about? There is a complete lack of tables of any kind, and there is no way for the seats to be anything but upright!_ Ciel thought in incomprehension. _This 'Master' makes the Doctor look sane!_

The TARDIS tipped slightly and Rose leaned down to the boy.  
"Hold onto something." She whispered urgently, grabbing a rail behind her.  
"What? Why?" Ciel asked in a bewildered tone.  
"We're gonna land – _hard._ Grab something and hold on tight!"

Ciel looked around and quickly caught hold of the rail just as the TARDIS violently lurched to the side. The Master howled in excitement as it tilted to and fro, his prisoners holding on for dear life. The TARDIS lurched once more, and then settled on the ground with a thump. Ciel released his held breath in a hiss of relief, and Rose wiped her brow with the back of her hand.

The Master walked to the doors and flung them open, beckoning his prisoners to follow. 

* * *

Sebastian suddenly felt his master's presence. The relief coursing through him was akin to the first breath after drowning. Ciel was definitely alive, and in that moment nothing else mattered.

_My bocchan is not out of danger yet, and we are moving so slowly. _ Sebastian thought irritably._ Human speeds are so tedious, but I can't just leave the Doctor behind - he knows the enemy and is likely to be useful. _

The Doctor was running barely half a step ahead of the demon butler as they ran up Downshire Hill Road and trekking under the weeping willows and grassy lawn of Hampstead Heath. Lost in the mountains of internal annoyance, Sebastian paid no heed to the beauty of the landscape and almost didn't notice the Doctor coming to an abrupt halt.

"Stop right there." the Doctor commanded.  
Sebastian complied, but barely concealed the irritation rising in him – there was no time to spare on _stopping_ when Ciel was in danger. The Doctor pulled out the sonic screwdriver and examined the apparently empty space in front of him. A transparent blue sheen appeared in the air in front of the screwdriver and radiated outwards.

"Hmmm…" The Doctor mused, "This will trigger an alarm if anything bigger than one person breaches it at one time. We'll have to go one after the other."  
The Doctor gave Sebastian a quick glance before tucking the screwdriver in his pocket and facing the scene before him.  
"I'll go first." They declared simultaneously.

Sebastian suppressed his emotions again and took a half step back – remembering his role. The butler gestured at the Doctor to go first, who stepped through in mild surprise – expecting the matter to be further pursued.  
"We'll have to be careful." The Doctor said as Sebastian passed through the barrier. "Keep an eye out for anything suspicious – the Master is bound to have traps on the grounds." 

* * *

"Put the pedal to the metal, boys!" The drug lord demanded from next to the driver. "We need to get there quick – _we_ want to kill Tremet! I don't want some other two-bit gang to get that luxury."

The driver obeyed as the other gang members yelled their raucous agreement. The gang members began discussing how they would torture Tremet and make him beg their forgiveness.  
As the car turned into Spaniards Road every person became quiet. Something felt wrong – like they'd passed through something invisible.

Suddenly, alarms sounded in the distance.  
"Shit." 

* * *

"Isn't this place magnificent?" The Master asked. "It really suits me, don't you agree?"  
"Sure, if you're into the whole 'abandoned castle' deal." Rose said casually, and then shivered. "It's a bit draughty though."

The Master gave self satisfied smirk, as if the discomfort to the girl was an unintended but happy side effect of his castle.

"The whole two lower floors are fortified with a reinforced extrapolated matrix force-field. All the doors and windows are deadlock sealed too – so the Doctor won't be able to sonic his way in like usual." The Master said, stalking towards his prisoners. "You're trapped, and no-one can save you."

"Then why are we here?" Ciel asked bluntly, clearly not intimidated.  
The Master frowned at him. "Who are you anyway, pipsqueak? I know this girl here is the Doctor's companion – she's got time-traveller written all over her face, but you… you seem a little young and angry for him to let you tag along."  
"His name is Ciel," Rose said, cutting in quickly to stop the doubtlessly arrogant and pointless verbal rampage from the boy. "He is an innocent bystander who was in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"What's the purpose of taking us?" Ciel demanded, determined to not be downplayed.  
"Well, _boy_," The Master said, and was met by a scowl. "I intend to prevail upon a specific piece of equipment that will facilitate a plan to create an opening to this neck of the woods and-" suddenly, he was cut off by an alarm from below.

A light filled his eyes and a manic smile made its way across his face. "The fun is about to begin!" the Master said gleefully, almost dancing out of the room.

His prisoners watched him leave, and moments after he was out of sight Rose turned to Ciel.  
"I think we should go." She said, standing up.  
"I agree." Ciel replied. "We can't just sit around forever."

A loud cackle came from the corridor, and Rose took that as a signal to grab Ciel's wrist and make a run for another door, dragging the boy behind her. 

* * *

"Careful," Sebastian said, holding his arm out to prevent the Doctor from moving forward. "There's a trip wire."  
The Doctor reached into a pocket and put on his glasses. He crouched down and frowned at the barely visible string.  
"How did you see it?" The Doctor asked in disbelief, glancing at Sebastian before standing up and carefully stepping over the wire. "It's practically invisible."  
"Oh, the devil's in the details, Doctor." Sebastian said smugly. "I tend to notice things."  
The Doctor froze.

"How could I have been so _stupid_? You told me. You've hinted _so_ many times… why didn't I see it before?" he said, running his fingers through his hair. "It explains everything - the speed, the skill, the strength. And your eyes. Why didn't I see?"

The Doctor looked up at Sebastian who was staring coldly back.  
"You're a demon." he stated, slowly backing away. "I knew you couldn't be trusted."  
"I could say the same about you," Sebastian said, his eyes beginning to glow dangerously. "You are older than I am – a unique occurrence among the living – and your soul is stained with death and pain. You're practically a demon yourself."

"I am no such thing – I _help_ people. I only ever try to help!" The Doctor insisted, bumping into a tree behind him as the demon approached.  
"It's not my fault that people die. I try to save them, I _really_ try." he continued, face contorting with anguish. "But I can't always help everyone. And I've saved so many."  
Sebastian now loomed over him.  
"But you've killed many more. Who are trying to convince, Doctor?" The demon taunted, eyes still glowing. "Me… or you?"

The Doctor looked away, the pain and regret written all over his face. Slowly he came back to reality, regaining his composure as he glanced at the butler.  
"Does the boy know about you? Does Ciel know you're a demon?"  
"Of course the young master knows," Sebastian scoffed, and removed his glove, revealing the mark. "Why else would I serve a child if not for a contract? I am bound to protect him until he has revenge."  
Sebastian held his hand near his face, knowing the full effect of his appearance to mortals. The combination of his glowing, slitted eyes, his black nails and the Faustian contract was enough to strike crippling fear into the souls of almost any human. However, the Doctor just stared cautiously, and Sebastian frowned at the lack of an appropriately terrified response. As though disappointed, the butler's eyes dulled and he put his glove back on.  
"Huh…" the Doctor said. "I was almost expecting you to go in for the kill."

An alarm sounded somewhere in the distance.

"We must make haste." Sebastian said glancing between the trees towards the castle where his master was being held.  
"I don't see why I should trust you, demon." The Doctor said. "And we _can't_ go quickly - who knows what we might fall into?"  
In a heartbeat the butler was at the Doctor's side. Sebastian lifted him effortlessly and slung the Doctor over his shoulder.  
"Put me down this instant!" The Doctor demanded – all previous emotion quickly replaced with indignation.

"Now I show you how _I_ run, Doctor." Sebastian smirked to the protesting time lord on his shoulder. "Hold on tight." 

* * *

Rose dragged Ciel down a corridor, quickly dashing into a room at random. Leaning against the door she listened for any signs of pursuit.

"We need to get out of this castle." Rose said quietly, as soon as she thought that they weren't being followed. "And we can't use the lower floors – he said they were deadlock sealed."  
"What's a deadlock seal?" Ciel asked, walking across the room to look out the fractured window.  
"It's like a really difficult lock." Rose said, explaining to the best of her knowledge. "One that you can't physically break into. You actually need to _know_ what unlocks it to open it, which means that we won't be able to get out of here from there."

"So we will have to leave from a higher floor, is that correct?" Ciel asked, raising an eyebrow sceptically. "How do you propose we manage that?"

"We'll climb down. We can make a rope, open a window and climb down the wall." Rose said looking around for anything to use, then noticed the long red curtains.  
"Help me." She said to Ciel, as she tugged at the material. "Let's get these curtains down and tie them together, or do you want to be sitting around helplessly while the Doctor and Sebastian do all the work?"  
"No, Sebastian would gloat." The boy admitted grudgingly, and went to help Rose.

Three tugs later the cloth tore and fell to the ground, and Rose and Ciel began pulling on the other curtain. Once both were down, Rose knotted the two together and tied one end to a vanity table. Opening the window, she and Ciel lowered the makeshift rope out of it.  
"Duck!" Ciel commanded, grabbing Rose's arm and pulling her down with him.

A shot was heard and the window above them shattered. Glass rained down around them and Rose quickly reached for the curtains, to pulling it from the window in haste.  
"Well, I can't just let the people who are shooting at us get up here, now can I?" Rose said in response to Ciel's quizzical look. "Who are they, anyway?"

"They're gangsters," Ciel replied. "Probably drug dealers."  
Rose peeked above the window sill, quickly ducking as another bullet whizzed above them. "But why are they shooting at _us_?"  
Ciel frowned in thought. "They must believe an enemy resides here. I know that a person called Ash Tremet was recently considered an enemy of the gangs after a few bad deals."  
"As far as I can tell, only the Master lives here." Rose said, masking her concern that such a young child knew about drugs and gangs.

"Wait a moment," Ciel said with a look of dawning understanding. "It's an anagram, an alias! The Master. Ash Tremet. They're one and the same!"  
"Well, what should we do?" Rose asked. "We can't just sit here and let him catch up to us. And we can't go out this window either – we'd be Swiss cheese before we hit the ground."  
"We shall have to wait then." Ciel replied, taking hold of his knees and resting his chin on them. "I'm sure Sebastian will arrive soon."  
"The Doctor will too." Rose added, confident in her saviour.

More gunshots started firing, and it sounded like they were rebounding off something metal. A nearby explosion, causing the two escapees to flinch, was followed by several wails of agony. A cackling laugh echoed from inside the castle. 

* * *

Slung over Sebastian's shoulder, the Doctor was infuriated. He was being treated like a bag of potatoes, he wasn't even remotely in control of the situation and every time he tried to complain about anything his mouth filled with bugs. He did have to admire the incredible speed with which they were travelling though – the trees were flashing past, and the ground was a blur beneath the demon's feet. It was incredible.

They began to slow down and the Doctor could make out the sound of bullets and explosions – which were never a good sign. They entered a clearing and came to a halt. A dozen men wielding guns turned towards them and paused in confusion.

The Doctor cleared his throat, and Sebastian put him down gently beside him. Quickly surveying the situation, the Doctor slowly raised his hands in surrender.  
"Why did you stop here?" The Doctor hissed to Sebastian who was standing perfectly still beside him.  
"The young master is in there." the butler said, gesturing at the castle behind them with a nod of his head.

"Don't shoot." The Doctor said, loud enough for the other people to hear. "We're unarmed."  
"What 'bout him?" A young man asked, stepping out of the bushes and pointing his gun at Sebastian.  
"I take it you don't work for the person that resides here?" Sebastian asked, obviously ignoring the question.

The man's finger twitched on the trigger.  
"No, I don't. And I don't want any witnesses." He said, and took the shot.

The Doctor flinched at the sound, then looked to the empty space were Sebastian used to be. Surprised, he looked around until he located the demon-butler, standing directly behind the gangster. Blood was coming through the shirt of the young man, as the Doctor watched in horror, the man gingerly touching his chest before dropping to the ground gurgling.

All hell broke loose.

* * *

**A/N: Yes, I've updated and it's my longest chapter so far. Yes, I do enjoy torturing the Doctor and making the Master cackle. And yes, I've left it on a cliffhanger. Come, on did you really expect me to not? Cliffhangers are so much fun (unless you're on the recieving end I suppose... so I'm sorry). I know I've been a bit slack, but I really really wanted to get this done nicely. **

**Also, just so you all know, I have done a fair bit of research into this area of London and Hampstead Heath and the roads I mentioned do exist, but the castle doesn't. I couldn't find anywhere near London to suit my plot so I grabbed a big (and old) park and I've said there is a castle. Please don't hate me. **

**Thank you to everyone who helped me continue this story (including everyone who reads, story alerts/favourites or reviews - they really help motivate me to get writing) and don't worry, I'm not done yet. =)  
**


	10. A Master Manipulator

**A/N: **_Firstly, I'm sorry this took so long. You can blame school, me being introduced to World of Warcraft, my editor being SUPER busy too, or all of the above. Secondly - thank you all. Your continued support is a blessing and really cheers me up when I'm down. __And thirdly, I hope you all enjoy this chapter as much as I enjoyed writing it. _

_**Be warned** - **there is** **gore in this chapter**. _

**Disclaimer** - Kuroshitsuji and Doctor Who never have been nor ever will be mine, but writing fanfiction for them is fun. 

* * *

All hell broke loose.

Bullets began to fly, forcing the Doctor to drop to the ground. Cringing at the shrieks of agony, he crawled over to a window on the castle wall and pulled out his sonic screwdriver. He glanced at the mayhem behind him and immediately wished he hadn't.

_This is a massacre. _The Doctor thought in absolute horror. _There's enough blood here for at least eight people. It's only been 10 seconds and the demon has already murdered so many… How dare he compare himself to me!_

The Doctor shook his head, forcing himself to turn away. He couldn't think about that. Not now. Not at a time like this. He had to save Rose.

Suddenly the sound of gunshots ceased, leaving only an eerie silence. The Doctor stood, trying to ignore the deathly quiet and began trying to sonic the window open. Just as silently the demon appeared behind him, and the Time Lord tried not to flinch.

"You didn't have to kill them, you know." The Doctor said quietly, not looking at the butler.  
"They would have attempted to kill us both if given the chance," Sebastian said, a smirk forming on his face, "and they would have succeeded in killing _you_."  
"You should have given them a chance." The Doctor said, ignoring the demon's comment. "You could have knocked them out, but instead you killed them."  
Sebastian smirked with evil satisfaction, and then frowned as he noticed the lack of progress on the window. "You can't open it?"

"The screwdriver's not working." The Doctor complained, putting Sebastian's massacre out of his mind. "The whole place is deadlock sealed so we can't break in. We need to find a door and keypad."  
With that statement the Doctor set off at a brisk pace, not waiting to see if Sebastian was following.

* * *

"Do you hear that?" Ciel asked Rose, lifting his head off his knees to listen. "The bullets have stopped."  
"Maybe the Master got those gangsters." The blond girl suggested, idly moving shards of glass around with her foot. "Or maybe they got him instead."

The young earl sighed – now that they weren't in immediate and life-threatening danger he was getting rather bored. He didn't even have a captor to taunt.

"Where is Sebastian?" Ciel asked impatiently. "He's never failed before. Where _is_ he?"  
"I'm sure he's coming," Rose said soothingly. "Don't forget that he's only human."

Ciel chuckled – the statement was just too funny not to, and the baffled look on the girl's face was priceless.

Rose decided ignore the laughing, since he was previously so uptight about rudeness, and they sat together in silence for a time. The sound of a quickly approaching motor vehicle made both of them uneasy.  
"I wonder… who could _that_ be?" Ciel said curiously.  
"Should we stay hidden?" Rose asked, looking anxious. "I don't really want to get shot at again."

The boy peeked over the window sill, and his eyes widened at what he saw.  
"We don't have much of a choice." Ciel said as a Molotov cocktail cascaded through the window frame.

Suddenly, fire exploded through the room.

* * *

"Ah-hah!" The Doctor exclaimed triumphantly, finally coming into view of the door they were searching for. Sebastian noticed that the man was still ignoring him – or trying to at least. He kept shuddering slightly when Sebastian didn't seem to be paying attention, much to the demon's amusement.

_This is too much fun. _

He heard the sound of approaching footsteps, and concealed a smirk. Apparently the fun wasn't about to end any time soon – more gangsters were approaching and he could see no reason for dealing with them quickly or discretely. Not when killing them violently within view of the Doctor was so extremely satisfying.

Thus, he waited while the Doctor began to talk about things Sebastian did not care to understand. He waited until the people were all around them in the nearby bushes before deciding to speak, cutting into the Doctor's ramblings.  
"There are gangsters surrounding us." Sebastian stated simply.

The Doctor froze. He obviously hadn't heard them approach.

"Open the door." Sebastian commanded. "I'll keep them at bay."  
The Doctor looked at him darkly, but nodded and turned to the contraption on the wall. Sebastian smiled wickedly and leapt towards a gangster, slashing at his throat with a dinner knife stashed up his sleeve. The man spluttered as the blood poured from his neck, causing Sebastian's eyes to glow with increasing bloodlust.

"Now, what code…?" The Doctor muttered, trying to ignore the horrific noises surrounding him. "Gallifreyan coordinates, perhaps?"

Sebastian frowned, realising that there were more gangsters nearby than he had previously anticipated. Forty – no, fifty – men were surrounding them, and more were coming around the corner at a rapid pace.

It wasn't so much worrisome, as that of an inconvenience. Sebastian still needed too find and save his bocchan after all – this would mean a longer wait.

_However… I suppose it couldn't hurt to enjoy myself a little more. _Sebastian thought to himself. _It couldn't hurt __**me**__ at any rate. I wonder… just what would it take to break the Doctor?_

With that thought he removed his still perfectly white gloves with his teeth and folded them into his pocket. Leaping at his opponents (if they could be called as such), he began to attack them in the most brutal way possible. He let each of them scream horrifically in pain before silencing them forever. And all the while, Sebastian was paying careful attention to the Doctor – relishing his every flinch and shudder at the sounds.

A man shot at him from the other side of the clearing. He dodged the bullet easily and came around behind the man, passing his fingers through the shirt and skin to between the man's ribs. Sebastian felt the beating of the heart on his fingertips for a moment before puncturing it ruthlessly.

Moments later he heard a shot and moved instinctively. As he got directly in front of the Doctor he felt it, the splitting pain of a bullet penetrating his forehead. The whole world seemed to go out of focus and at a fraction of the pace it should be.  
"It's open!" he heard as a hand closed around his wrist.  
Darkness crashed down upon him and Sebastian didn't even feel the Doctor pull him inside and shut the door.

* * *

Fire exploded throughout the room as it quickly engulfed all the surrounding fabric, and licked at the wooden furniture. The varnish bubbled and the wood began to smoulder in the intense heat.

It was all happening so fast!

Rose dropped to her hands and knees as she crawled under the choking smoke, completely forgetting about the glass strewn across the floor. She glanced back and was relieved to see the boy following her closely. They had to stick together.  
"Stay… close." Rose coughed through the smoke. "We've gotta get outta here."

They managed to crawl to the door and get outside of the now furnace-like room, quickly shutting the door firmly behind them. Rose leaned on the opposite wall and began carefully removing the larger pieces of glass in her hands and knees, wincing with each one. Hearing a noise they both whipped around and Ciel reflexively drew his pistol from a pocket.

Rose saw this and stared at the boy in utter disbelief. "Why do you have a gun?"  
"Why shouldn't I?" Ciel replied quietly. "I need to be able to protect myself should Sebastian not be around."  
"But – but you're a _kid_. Kids aren't meant to have guns…" Rose said, feeling very uncomfortable with the situation. "Look – I bet its nothing, so put the gun away, while I'll go see what it is."

Ciel moved his gun so he didn't point it at the girl, but otherwise ignored her remark.  
Rose walked down the corridor and opened the door a fraction to peek inside.  
"You can put your gun away. It's just a cat." she said, chuckling. Bending down to pick up the feline now weaving itself around her legs she began to cringe in pain.

Ciel was surprised to find that he was actually concerned for the girl.  
"What's wrong?" he asked, putting his gun away.

"I think I've pulled a stitch." Rose said, straightening up with extreme caution. "Bit of a stupid time for it, right? I mean, trying to pick up a cat rather than escape from a burning room – you wouldn't hear of it!"  
"We should find somewhere for you to sit down. Somewhere that is safer than a room with a window." Ciel said, moving to her aide. "Perhaps we should go back to the main room."  
"We might run into the Master though…" Rose said, wincing with every move she made.  
"That's a risk we'll have to take." Ciel said firmly. "Besides, we won't be completely defenceless – I do have a gun."

* * *

"It's open!" The Doctor yelled, turning to see Sebastian directly behind him.  
Grabbing his wrist, the Doctor tugged the demon through the door and shut it behind them both.

Breathing a sigh of relief as he leaned against the door, the Doctor finally turned to face the butler -  
- who was lying motionless on the floor.

Quickly, the Doctor turned Sebastian over before staring in disbelief at the bullet hole in the middle of his forehead. Raw emotion passed through the Doctor as he tried to decide whether he was relieved that the monster was dead, sad that the man was killed or confused that he couldn't make up his mind!

_He is a demon and a murderer for Gallifrey's sake! I shouldn't be feeling pity for him!_ The Doctor thought, trying to rid himself of the feelings._ But a life is still a life – who will care for that boy, Ciel, now?_

"Why would you give your life for me?" The Doctor asked quietly, staring at the butler's still form as it would relinquish the answer. "Why would a _demon_ die to save me?"

Sebastian's eyes fluttered briefly – causing the Doctor to jump before hastily retreating to the other side of the room. Sitting up slowly, Sebastian rubbed his still un-gloved hand over his forehead, wiping the blood away from the newly reformed skin and bone. He then spat out the bullet, examining it quietly before he gently tossed it into a corner.

_Everything he does is impossible! _The Doctor thought in utter shock, watching wide-eyed as the butler stood up and dusted off his clothes. _He's acting like he didn't get shot in the head… As if he didn't just die - or like it doesn't even matter! _

Replacing his gloves on his hands, Sebastian looked towards the Doctor.  
"Why did you save my life?" The Doctor asked, after deciding what to ask. "You didn't have to."  
"That is incorrect; I was obliged to save you." Sebastian disagreed. "The young master previously ordered that I was to ensure that no harm comes to you. To do otherwise would have been a breach of contract."

Stunned at the simplicity of the answer and quickly figuring out that Sebastian never intended to hurt him, the Doctor merely replied "Well… thanks."  
"Indeed." Sebastian acknowledged. "Let us find the young master and your companion. We have wasted too much time already."

* * *

An inconspicuous tree slowly appeared on the Phantomhive Estate behind an iconic blue box. The Master stepped out before walking over to the Police Box, opening the door with ease.

"Oh, Doctor, you never learn to lock your TARDIS do you?" He said, grinning brightly before walking inside.

* * *

Rose hobbled slowly down the corridor, listening to the sounds of gunfire. Ciel walked alongside her cautiously, wanting to help her but unsure of what he could do.

They eventually entered the ballroom that they originally arrived in. Rose collapsed gratefully into the first chair she saw, and then looked around the room.  
"Well, at least his TARDIS is gone." She said with relief. "So I guess the Master won't be bothering us again."  
"What if he just moved it around the corner?" Ciel asked, with a touch of deserved paranoia. "He may want to catch us off guard if he shows up."

"I don't think he'd do that. He seems to be kind of... parallel to the Doctor." Rose said, thinking about her words carefully. "The Doctor wouldn't move his TARDIS just to scare someone and I get the feeling that the Master is similar."

Ciel remained wary, despite Rose's assurances, as he settled himself down to wait. It was not particularly comfortable, but he noticed the girl was far worse off than him. Her trousers were torn and she had several gashed on her knees. Before long the sounds of distant chaos began to travel into their hall, making Ciel frown as he reached for his gun. He was not about to let the Master get the better of him with his mind tricks – not again.

"Wait a sec and just listen." Rose instructed the boy, "It sounds like arguing."  
"Your point?" Ciel asked bluntly.  
"It's gotta be the Doctor." She clarified, before raising her voice, "Doctor, we're in here!"

"Rose!" was the distant reply, before a black blur barrelled through the door and stopped directly in front of Ciel.  
"Are you hurt?" Sebastian asked with concern, his eyes quickly scanning over his bocchan.  
"I'm fine." Ciel said with a haughty glare at the demon butler. "Though I would have preferred it had you arrived sooner. It would have spared the indignity of crawling out of a burning room."  
Sebastian smiled slightly at his masters indignant words – it was so like him to worry about pride before safety. "My deepest apologies for the delay then, my lord."

The Doctor finally ran through the door and immediately went to Rose.  
"Are you okay, Rose?" The Doctor asked. "Where's the Master? He didn't hurt you, did he?"  
"Well, I pulled a stitch a little while ago, but otherwise I think I'm okay." Rose said, trying to play down the severity of her and Ciel's previous predicament, in quiet but confident knowledge that the boy wouldn't say anything. "And I'm pretty sure the Master's gone. This was the room we landed in."

"Oh, no... Oh, no, no, no. This is bad. This is very, very bad." The Doctor said, beginning to pace nervously. "That means he took you to get me to follow. He knew I'd leave the TARDIS behind because of his security, and now he's got it. He's been manipulating us – manipulating _me_ this whole time. I should have seen it, but I've gotten rusty. It's been so long but I've got to think - what could he be planning?"

"He said he wants the human race extinguished," Ciel said quietly, realising for the first time that the Master was smarter and more dangerous than he thought. "And he wants the world to burn."

"That pretty much sums up the Master." The Doctor said dismissively but frowned thoughtfully all the same – something that was not unnoticed by the other three.  
"He also said that he wants you dead, Doctor." Rose said simply, looking up at him.  
He stopped pacing for a moment, and his frown deepened.

"He doesn't know. He doesn't know we're the last. And if what I'm thinking is right, I can't even tell him." The Doctor said before looking at Rose. "Did he say anything else, anything at all that might give us a hint as to what he's planning to do?"

"Well, the Master did say something about getting some equipment..." Rose said, trying in vain to remember the direct quote.  
"He wanted to open something by using it." Ciel added. "I think he said 'to this neck of the woods'."  
"Yeah, that's it." Rose agreed. "And then alarms came on and he ran away cackling."

The Doctor's shoulders sagged slightly – realising the implications of what Rose and Ciel were saying. Sebastian, however, was growing impatient.  
"Tell us, Doctor," the butler said, trying to be polite but to the point. "In the clearest possible terms, what exactly does this all mean?"

The Doctor turned to look at the others.

"The equipment was the TARDIS, and I'm pretty sure the thing he wants to open is an intra-dimensional portal. Probably to the Drashig colonies on Grundle's moon and that will let them through to here and now, London 1889. And that would mean the end of the world."*****

* * *

**A/N:** _Tee-hee-hee, torturing the Doctor is so much fun. Don't get me wrong, I feel sorry for him while I'm doing it but I just love to make him suffer. At least Sebby got a share of suffering in this chapter though, right? _

_Anyway the _*****_ is there about the intra-dimensional portal thing, and I figured I should explain a bit. An interdimensional portal is something that would hop you across dimensions - like the internet provides information from over different computers all over the world. But an intra-dimensional portal is one that you'd use to travel very long distances efficiently because it opens to another place within ONE dimension, like the intra-net can connect with several other specific computers nearby safely. Hence, intra rather than inter is being used for this dimensional portal. Some people might call it a worm hole. _

_Okay, I hope everyone enjoyed the chapter lots and lots and lots, and I'm hoping it can satisfy you all for the time being, cuz I have lots to do. 3 projects (2 worth 25%, 1 worth 50% of my final mark for my final year at university) due within the next 1 and a half weeks. And then I have a test a week later, (again 25%), and then it's exams. *dies* So I'll be back after the end of semester with the next chapter with any luck. _

_Oh, and reviews get's you cyber-cupcakes. =) =) =) =)  
_


	11. Conflicting Interests

**~Chapter 11: Conflicting Interests~**

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

They were looking at him expectantly - the Doctor knew this without even looking around. Well, two of them would be, for sure. The demon might just be smirking – he always seemed to when the Doctor was in a tight spot. But the other two would be expecting him to say something that would fix it all. Not that he'd have it any other way, really. It was better to be relied on, to have that expectation that he'd make everything alright, rather than reflect on his failures at keeping people safe. He had to live up to their expectations. It _couldn__'__t_ be any other way.

"Right," he began, turning around – not surprised that his predictions were correct. "We need to stop the Master. He won't be that far away, he'd make sure we are able to get there in time for him to brag."  
"So Doctor, where will he be?" Rose asked attentively. "How will we stop him?"  
"Good question." The Doctor said. "Anyone have any ideas of where he could be?"

"The only place nearby that would be sufficiently isolated is the Highgate Cemetery. Is it an acceptable suggestion _this_ time, Doctor?" Sebastian asked with a hint of irritation.  
"Perfect!" the Doctor exclaimed, either ignoring or being oblivious to the butler's tone. "He's bound to be in some tomb or other."

"What will happen when we get there, Doctor?" Sebastian queried, one eyebrow raised. "What can we expect?"

"Worst case scenario, we will have to deal with a Drashig invasion." The Doctor said darkly, glancing from boy to butler and back. "Is there anybody either of you know that could help fight them, anyone at all who would be willing to risk their lives for the sake of the world?"  
"I know of some people." Sebastian offered simply, and then looked at Ciel. "Shall I acquire them, young master?"

The Doctor frowned. That sounded more like kidnapping or stealing than recruiting volunteers.

"Yes, Sebastian. Once you have everyone that can help us, meet the Doctor and I at the cemetery." Ciel said, before remembering Rose and adding, "Oh, and take Miss Tyler with you, and keep her safe. That is an order."  
The Doctor saw the flashes of annoyance from both parties concerned, and was uncomfortable with the situation before mentally conceding that the safest place for Rose was with the demon that was now obliged to protect her. While Sebastian was inherently untrustworthy, he would follow his orders without fail.

"Don't I get a say in this?" Rose said indignantly, as Sebastian scooped her into his arms with practised ease.  
"No." Ciel and the Doctor said together.  
"With your injuries as they are, you are more of a liability than an asset." Ciel continued, holding up a finger when the girl tried to argue. "Plus, only Sebastian will be unhindered by your lack of speed since he will carry you."  
"You'll be safe with him, Rose." The Doctor said, his shoulders rising in an unapologetic shrug. "How am I supposed to argue against that?"

Rose scowled fiercely but remained silent as the butler carried her across the room. She vowed that she would have _words_ with the Doctor when this was all over – he was in so much trouble for treating her like a damsel in distress.

"I'll make sure nothing happens to Ciel." The Doctor said, before Sebastian left the room, "But if you don't protect Rose, you won't just be breaking the contract – you'll have to deal with **me**. And civilisations have bowed under that threat, demon."

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Rose quickly forgot her irritation when Sebastian started running, instead opting for clinging to him for dear life.  
_He __is __**so **__fast!_ She thought, with appropriate amounts of awe and apprehension. _It__'__s __almost __as__ if __it__'__s __my__ life __flashing__ before __my __eyes... __Except __that __my __life__ is __very __rarely __about__ trees._

The trees thinned, giving way to grass before blurring into streets and buildings. And then they were slowing down, coming to a halt outside the Phantomhive Estate.

"What are we doing here, Sebastian?" Rose asked, desperately wishing that she would be put down.  
"We have come to collect Misters Bardroy and Finnian, Miss Maylene and Pluto." Sebastian said. "They will be of use if the worst case scenario arises."  
"But... they're servants." Rose said weakly, staring at the butler in shock and bewilderment.  
"As am I." Sebastian countered calmly. "They were not employed for their domestic skills, but for their speciality in their field of combat."

"What's Maylene's specialty?" Rose asked, suddenly filled with curiosity.  
"Sharpshooting." Sebastian said. "Bardroy has exceptional planning and foresight in battle situations, Finnian has super-human strength, and Pluto is a demon dog."

Rose's jaw dropped.  
_How__ can __Maylene __be __a __sharpshooter?_ She thought in disbelief. _She__'__s __got __those __thick __glasses__ and __can __barely __walk __down__ a __corridor __without__ tripping__ over __something!__ And __from__ what __she __told __me __about __the __other __two, __they __aren__'__t __much __better. __And __what __does __he __mean __by__ '__demon__ dog__'__?__  
_"Is there anybody normal around here?" Rose asked, after somewhat recovering from the shock at the revelation, though still not quite believing any of it.

"Tanaka, the steward, is normal." The butler said simply, and then put the girl on her feet outside the manor doors. "Wait here. I shall get them and organise a carriage to bring everyone to the graveyard."

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

A man with long grey hair wearing a top hat and a dark grey tunic was lounging on a gravestone as the Doctor ran into the graveyard, closely followed by Ciel.  
"Undertaker?" Ciel asked in surprise when he saw the man – it wasn't like him to be out of his creepy shop in daylight hours.  
"Hello, Earl Phantomhive," Undertaker said, grinning into his oversized sleeve. "What brings you to this place today?"  
"Official business, Undertaker." Ciel said, approaching the man in grey. "And this is the Doctor of no name. Doctor, meet the Undertaker."

The Undertaker tilted his head slightly at the odd introduction, then smiled widely and offered his sleeve-covered hand to shake.

"Look, Undertaker, we don't have any time to waste." The Doctor began, completely ignoring the strangeness of the man before him. "Do you know of any disturbed tombs or catacombs or anything around here somewhere?"  
Undertaker grinned maniacally. "I may have seen something of the sort in this graveyard. But, Earl Phantomhive," he continued, nodding to the boy, "knows the price for my knowledge."

The Doctor looked at Ciel, eyebrows cocked questioningly.  
"He will only tell us where to go if we can make him laugh." Ciel explained to him, rolling his eyes in obvious irritation. "Only Sebastian and Aberline of the Scotland Yard have been able to achieve that feat. And Sebastian refuses to tell me what he does to achieve it."

"That is an odd thing to ask for. Making you laugh..." The Doctor said with suspicion, before deciding that it was just another weird thing in this day of oddities. "Anyway, we don't have the time to wait for Sebastian to come and tell a joke; the fate of the world is at stake."

The Undertaker twitched.

"It is unavoidable." Ciel said bluntly, settling down to wait. "Sebastian will have to be here for us to progress."  
"Seriously? Wouldn't it just be easier to just look for it ourselves? Surely that would be quicker than trying to find out what he finds amusing." The Doctor continued, then paused and looked thoughtful. "All these years and I've never needed to impersonate a comedian..."

The Undertaker seemed to be shaking.

"I've lived over 900 years as a Time Lord and I've never had to infiltrate a comedian's headquarters, or put a stop to any nefarious plots run by them. I suppose they've got to be pretty happy people in general, with all those jokes I mean, so they don't tend to make any Earth-endangering plans. Generally, if it's anything to do with incidents on the stage, it's actors that are at the focus of it." The Doctor said, the rant running wildly off his intended point. "Why is it always actors?"

At this point the Undertaker could no longer be silent and burst into hysterical laughter, falling off the gravestone he was seated on before rolling on the mossy ground.

After thirty seconds of stunned silence from the Doctor and Ciel, Undertaker managed to compose himself. Returning to an upright position he beamed widely and pointed a long, thin finger. "That way," Undertaker said, his voice still shaking slightly with suppressed laughter. "The Kyrios-Herre family tomb was opened without reason two days ago."

"Will that be him, Doctor?" Ciel asked, apparently recovered from the shock of what it took to make the Undertaker laugh.  
"Yes." The Doctor said darkly, looking in the direction of the spindly finger. "The name means 'Lord and Master'."

With that, the Doctor set off at a run, Ciel following behind him as quickly as he could.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Sebastian drove the carriage with reckless abandon, spurring the horses so the streets practically flew beneath their feet. The demon did not want to leave his Ciel to be alone with the Doctor for any longer than necessary, and was completely prepared to break any rules to do so.

Rose, Maylene, Bardroy, and Finnian were in the coach holding on for dear life and while the latter three prepared themselves for a battle of epic proportions, the blonde girl had her eyes squeezed shut in the pain from the bumpy ride. Pluto, in human form and wearing some gardening clothes from Finny, was clinging to the roof of the coach, blissfully sticking his tongue out and enjoying the wind and speed.

They skidded to a halt just outside the cemetery, and everyone but Rose quickly climbed out of the carriage.  
"I will find the young master," Sebastian began, looking over the 'ranks' as he spoke. "You stay back and out of sight until I give the signal. Hopefully your assistance will not be needed, but if it is necessary I expect you to protect the young master and consider any creature or person that is unfamiliar as an enemy." His eyes swept over the four people before him, and realised Rose was not among them.

"Miss Tyler, I strongly recommend you stay here and not attempt to follow us. You will get lost and hurt, and I do not wish to fail an order from my young master." Sebastian said firmly.

The only response was a scowl and a reluctant nod, before he turned and began to search for Ciel – the others following him at a slight distance.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

"Stop what you're doing." The Doctor said as he stepped out of the shadows, pointing his sonic screwdriver at the Master. "Nothing good will come of this... so just stop."

The Master turned from his work on the other side of the tomb as he raised a sceptical eyebrow. "Why should I stop, Doctor? If you die then you cannot hinder any of my efforts in the future to gain immortality. Not to mention your precious human race will be gone, meaning that they won't populate the universe with their filth. I _really_ don't see the down side."  
"Please... Please don't do this. I can't tell you why, but you would regret it forever if you don't stop this." The Doctor implored, not wishing his loneliness on anyone.  
He lowered the screwdriver and came further into the room.  
"Say my name, Doctor. I always use your name, that _idiotic_ title, and so you should use mine when you _beg_." The Master taunted viciously.

Ciel watched quietly from the shadows. He was quite impressed by the Master; he seemed to be _almost_ as sadistic as Sebastian – but his skills apparently lay with mental torture rather than physical. Still, it would not do to be caught in case he also had a knack for inflicting physical pain too.

"Master..." The Doctor began, his voice tinged with sadness. "Please, Master, I don't want to fight you. Just leave _this__one_ alone."  
The Master closed the gap between them in three swift steps coming to a stop directly in front of the Doctor, their noses just a centimetre apart.

"**No**." He said, putting as much of his anger and hate as possible into that single syllable.

Ciel moved forward slightly to examine the Master in more closely. The man was practically evil – getting the Doctor to squirm and jump through hoops to please him, before dashing any hope of any reformation. Ciel was so curious that he didn't even notice that he had leaned out of the shadow, and the light from the two open TARDIS's illuminated his face.

The Master did notice, however, and his hand shot out and grabbed the boy by the hair, dragging him further into the room.  
"What do we have here?" The Master asked, pulling Ciel's head up to examine him more closely. "You're the boy from before..." He frowned slightly, before looking up. "Doctor, your companion said he was an innocent bystander– didn't you teach her that it's not nice to tell lies?"  
Ciel spat at his captor's face, barely caring that the Master shook him vindictively in response.

"Let him go, Master." The Doctor said coldly, aiming the sonic screwdriver with his left hand at the control panel. "Your quarrel is with me, the boy's done nothing to you."  
The Master rolled his eyes in exasperation. "That control panel has been sonic-locked, Doctor. Only _my_ sonic screwdriver can do anything to it."  
"And whose do you think this is?" The Doctor asked, pulling his screwdriver from behind his back as he wiggled it.

The Master's eyes widened as the control panel began to beep, and he quickly patted his pockets with his free hand, confirming that he was indeed missing his sonic device.

Glaring at Doctor, the Master pulled out a weapon and put it to Ciel's head. "Stop what you're doing Doctor and hand over my screwdriver, and this boy won't have to end up as a rag doll."

It was then that Sebastian stepped through the door.  
His eyes narrowed in anger at the scene before him – the Doctor had _promised_ the Young Master would be safe with him, but here he was; captured and with a weapon to his head.

"Oh... I see you're here, Sebastian." The Doctor said weakly, the lack of a forthcoming explanation causing Sebastian's ire to rise exponentially.

The Master turned his head to appraise the new arrival, and then smirked at the realisation that he was almost definitely the butler to the child he was holding. The Master knew how to take control of _this_ situation.  
"Don't do anything stupid." He began in a melodic voice, staring directly into the butler's eyes. "Or else I'll have no choice but to kill the kid." With that he shook Ciel slightly as if to emphasise his point. "So get the two screwdrivers from the Doctor and place them on the bench, and then incapacitate him."

Sebastian glared, standing perfectly still, and allowed his eyes to flash demonically when the Doctor held his gaze.  
"Not doing as I say is an example of being stupid." The Master said sardonically, not allowing his uneasiness to show as he realised that his hypnotic command had no effect on the man.

"Only _I_ can to stop him Sebastian." The Doctor said, trying to get the butler to understand. "It's the only way to save the world. And if I don't stop him, Ciel will be slaughtered along with the rest of humanity – regardless of your actions now."

"Save me, you dolt." Ciel said irritably.  
The Master shook him again, silently telling him to _shut__ up_, while trying to figure out what was... off about the butler. The command he issued should have been obeyed without question, and only those well trained in avoiding psychic manipulation should have been able to do such a thing - and how many of those would be here in this day and age?

"Don't think I won't do it, just because he's a child." The Master said quickly as Sebastian took a step towards them. "At least his death will be much cleaner than a gun, thanks to my tissue compression eliminator. No blood or mess to deal with, just a little Ciel doll. Then he can be dropped in the sewers with all the other disgusting things there."  
Sebastian paused, looking at the cylinder the Master was holding. It seemed somewhat similar to the Doctor's sonic screwdriver, and it had no place for bullets or projectiles of any kind. There would be nothing for him to catch hold of should the Master decide to kill Ciel.

It wasn't a hard choice.

"You said you would keep him safe, Doctor, and I have kept your companion away from harm." Sebastian stated, moving in a predatory fashion towards him. "I have no option but to protect my young master."

Both sonic screwdrivers were removed from the Doctor's possession and placed on the aforementioned bench within a second, and that gave the Master his last clue.  
"Hah! A demon, Doctor?" The Master asked with disbelief, as Sebastian caught the Doctor's hands and locked them together. "I would never have thought you'd consort with a one of his kind. And you always think you're so much better than me. Well, I guess this just proves you wrong."

A wickedly deranged smirk worked its way onto the Master's face as he examined the scene before him. The sonic screwdrivers lying unused and un-threatening on the table, the enemy held fast against his will, and a beautifully destructive plan about to come to fruition. It was... his _Master_piece, and nothing could ruin it now.

The Master released Ciel's hair – one hand still firmly holding the tissue compression eliminator to the boy's neck – leaned over and flicked switch on the control panel then grabbed his sonic screwdriver and pointed it at the Doctor's TARDIS.

"I can't have you escaping, now can I?" The Master asked rhetorically, activating the sonic tool and relishing the crackles and pops that came from inside the blue box. "Well, I must be off," he said cheerfully with a bright smile, placing the screwdriver back in his pocket. "Places to be, people to manipulate, worlds to rule – I'm sure you understand. I _won__'__t_ be seeing you again."

Grabbing Ciel's hair again – much to the boy's irritation, the Master steered him to his TARDIS and stepped through the open door. Turning, the Master surveyed the scene one last time before suddenly shoving Ciel out of the TARDIS and closing the doors before the demon butler could react.

Sebastian relinquished his hold as the TARDIS faded from sight and the Doctor crumbled to the floor in defeat.

"What have I done?"

* * *

**A/N:** **Hello there, everyone, I hope you all enjoyed that chapter. =) Sorry it took so long to complete - it was interrupted by NaNoWriMo, in which I tried to write a novel in a month. I also moved house, completed a university degree and made a lot of super awesomely decorated cupcakes. I know I'm just making excuses, and I really shouldn't be, but it's all true.  
**

**Can anyone figure out what it was that the Doctor has done that he's so unhappy about? I'd be interested to hear theories. =) **

**Review for pretty cupcakes! (Seriously though, reviewing gets my 'A' into 'G', makes me feel guilty if I'm not writing and convinces me to write faster)  
**


	12. It's All About the Timing

**~Chapter 12: It's All About the Timing ~**

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

_Sebastian relinquished his hold as the TARDIS faded from sight and the Doctor crumbled to the floor in defeat._

"_What have I done?" _

The Doctor held his face in his hands, despair evident in his broken posture. He slowly pulled himself up in a feat of self control and the two nearby saw his haunted expression for a moment before it disappeared, replaced with a careful blankness.

"Right." The Doctor said, trying to focus. "We have to stop this before it reaches its critical level of alignment. We can't let the Drashigs come through."  
"Tell me what to do." Sebastian offered quickly, understanding the severity of the situation. "What can I do to help?"

"I need to fix the TARDIS to disconnect her from the portal. It's being used as the power source, the fuel. The trouble is that the controls are sonic locked, so I won't be able to alter the controls from there." The Doctor said, words almost blurring together in his haste. "Stay here, watch the portal, and yell if anything happens," he ordered before dashing into his TARDIS.

Ciel looked up at Sebastian through his dishevelled hair, a scowl on his face. "Why were you so late, Sebastian? He could have killed me."  
"I apologise, Young Master. However, he did not kill you, and I believe it to be unwise to be preoccupied with the notion at a time such as this." Sebastian said smoothly, keeping a careful eye on the portal. "Also, since there is a possibility that very soon this place will be overrun by dangerous creatures from another world I would strongly advise you to wait in the carriage with Miss Rose Tyler."  
Ciel's scowl deepened but he didn't argue – pain and death was not something he wanted to experience, at least not before he had achieved his revenge. He turned to the exit and walked out, leaving Sebastian alone with the portal.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The Doctor raced around the TARDIS control panel, frantically pressing buttons as sparks rained down on him. The Master had damaged his poor TARDIS to the point where it would be unable to travel, but still have enough energy to open the portal.  
_The plan was foolproof... possibly even Doctor proof. _The Doctor admitted to himself, feeling a twinge of remorse, _He knows me too well - I had nearly forgotten what he's like. He really got the best of me this time, didn't he?_

A fire broke out amongst a tangle of wires and the Doctor wasted no time in putting it out with a small fire extinguisher. Immediately he returned to the task of fixing his time machine for the sake of the world.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Ciel walked out into the open. There was almost no light in the sky any more, and the graveyard was shrouded in gloom. A pair of faint lights glittered against the darkness and Ciel began to make his way towards them, assuming they were the ones mounted on his coach.

He didn't even notice his servants watching him leave from a short distance away as they guarded the crypt.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Sebastian watched the greyish blue portal that took up almost a whole wall of the crypt. It emitted a dull moving light, like dappled sunlight shining through water. Suddenly, the light changed to a flashing yellow before settling to a steady red-orange glow. The demon butler's eyes widened slightly before he darted to the TARDIS door, searching for the Doctor.

"It changed." He said shortly, and couldn't even bring himself to enjoy the look of sheer panicked desperation on the man's face.  
"Then it's almost ready." The Doctor said with dread in his voice. "It's going to happen; I can't fix the TARDIS in time." He paused slightly, "The Drashigs are going to burst through there in about a minute. We have to stop them."

"Agreed. There are three people and a demon dog wait outside, ready to kill anything coming out of this place that isn't human... looking." Sebastian said, and the Doctor shook his head.  
"It won't be enough," he said morbidly. "There could be hundreds of them about to arrive and we'd need a very well equipped army to deal with them."

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Ciel arrived at the carriage, and examined the lights for a moment before realising he didn't really care who lit them in the face of a possible apocalypse. He climbed inside and sat opposite Rose who was looking worried.

"Is it as bad as I think it is?" She asked in a quietly grim voice.  
Ciel glanced at her briefly. "Worse," he replied. "The Master escaped and there doesn't seem to be any way to stop the portal from opening."

Rose frowned, catching some movement out of the corner of her eye. She turned to face the carriage window and peered out of it. "Ciel," she began quietly, "Ciel, there's something out there." She paused for a moment, "Some-_one_, I mean."  
Her tone made the boy pay attention and he looked out the window. Through the gloom there was indeed movement, though he could not make out the figures any better than Rose could. As he leaned out of the window slightly to get a better look, a Cheshire-worthy smile filled his vision.

Ciel jumped back in surprise, and Rose's eyes widened as she recognised the figure before them.  
"You!" He said accusingly at the sharp-toothed grinning man with scarlet hair and emerald eyes that seemed to enjoy the fright of the young boy.  
"Why are _you_ here?" His words dripped with venom as he recovered from the shock of having Grell inches from his face, returning to his usual disregard for the man.

"I heard that my Sebas-chan was in danger." Grell said, his voice turning into an almost whine at the prospect of his 'beloved' getting hurt. "And William said that there was some really big trouble happening around here and he needed everyone to help deal with it."

Rose's eyes lit up as an idea filled her mind. This was _perfect_.  
_ If all his friends- _she paused in her thoughts, unsure that 'friends' was the appropriate word – _colleagues... well, the people that are like him at least,_ _if they have chainsaws like his then they might have a chance against the Drashigs. _

She glanced briefly at Ciel's face then looked back at Grell._  
It might not be the end of the world after all._ Rose thought with a ghost of a grin.  
"You showed up just in time."

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

"We don't have enough time!" The Doctor yelled frantically as sparks rained down on him and Sebastian. "I can't disengage the power to the portal without corrupting the mainframe which could blow a hole in the _universe_!"  
"Well, you must do _something_!" The demon butler yelled in reply – he didn't want the end of the world. Humans were so much _fun_ with all their pain and suffering, and if they all died there would be nothing left to amuse Sebastian – and he would rather die with the pitiful creatures them than spend an eternity in a state of torturous _boredom_.

"That portal's going to open in thirty seconds!" The Doctor said loudly, pulling a lever that immediately shut off the rain of sparks. "This will take five minutes. Minimum." He twisted a dial and the rooms' lights started flickering and changing colour as if it had become some sort of bizarre disco. "Get out there and stop them from leaving this place."

Sebastian obliged wordlessly.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Grell lead the way through the graveyard happily. He was going to see his Sebas-chan again and based on what that blonde girl and the kid had said, there was going to be blood soon. Lots and lots of blood. Grell shivered in excitement and anticipation at the thought of all that _red_. It was such a wonderful colour to his mind – the epitome of beauty, passion and life.

The other shinigami were following him calmly, readying their death-scythes (made from all shapes and sizes) and preparing for one hell of a fight that, by all rights, was never supposed to happen.

A black-haired, stern-faced shinigami appeared by Grell's side and eyed his chainsaw with displeasure.  
"That death-scythe is still outside regulations, Grell Sutcliff." William Spears said with no overt emotion in his voice.  
Grell pouted childishly at the statement. "I don't see why you have to rain on my parade, William. It's not like it matters at a time like this."  
"All shinigami must have standards, and must comply with those standards." William continued in the same emotionless tone. "And swooning over a demon completely disregards that. In fact, if it weren't for the fact that the world is needlessly in danger I would not have allowed this mission at all if it involved that demon."

Grell began to mutter something but was cut off as a shrill shriek pierced the night, followed by many more of the same – blending into each other to become a symphony of pure auditory pain.

And, as one, the entire fleet of assembled shinigami burst into a run towards the source of the noise.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

It was crippling, that noise, even through the closed TARDIS doors. The Doctor hoped he wouldn't have any permanent hearing damage from it – it was all very well being over 900 years of age without being as deaf as an old man to go with it.

He also hoped that Sebastian wasn't being torn apart limb by limb out there.

It was then that the Doctor then realised he was beginning to feel concerned for the demon, and quickly began to justify himself.  
"Well, if Sebastian died there would be nothing between the Drashigs and the rest of the world." The Doctor said aloud, as if verbalising it would make the statement completely true. "It's the _humans_ I care about. Not a demon."

He did not feel convinced.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Bardroy and Finnian took a few moments to recover from the shock of the ear-splitting shriek. Maylene, of course, had stuffed her ears with cotton to muffle her gunshots – so the Drashig cry did not affect her as much.

"What in the name of all things good could make such a noise?" Bard exclaimed loudly, looking over to Finny who was busy pressing his hands against his ears. Pluto howled in desperation – clearly trying to express the pain his ears were in.

Maylene was the first to notice the shinigami running towards the sound and inferred that they were there to help, even if she didn't recognise any of them. The other two, and Pluto, saw the group shortly afterwards and let them pass without comment – nobody who was ignorant of the 'end-of-the-world' situation would be running towards the terrible racket.

They hoped, as one, that they would all live to see the next day.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Sebastian darted and weaved through the group of Drashigs, doing everything in his power to hinder the beasts and stopping them from exiting the tomb. Removing legs just made them angry, stabbing them just made them thrash around, whenever he got close to their heads they would snap at him.

And they had _very_ sharp teeth. Sebastian was bleeding in several places where he had been not quite fast enough to avoid their jaws and was feeling extremely irritated about it.  
"_Damn _you_ all_." He hissed with malice in every syllable. It was clear from his tone that he meant it _completely_ literally.

The space in the room was getting very small with each Drashig addition, and they were all screaming with rage, frustration and hunger. It was then that Sebastian decided he hated the Drashigs. They were so noisy, so big, and_ so hard to kill_.

One Drashig managed to figure out where the exit was and made a mad dash towards it. Sebastian couldn't do anything to stop it, and wondered if Maylene, Bardroy, Finnian and the howling Pluto could handle the beast.

And then the cavalry arrived, led by a girlish shriek of joy.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Grell saw Sebastian and his heart leapt. _Oh, Sebas-chan my love! _He thought in delight._ I don't care if the world __**does**__ end, so long as I can be by your side forever!_

Then he reminded himself that if the world ended Sebastian would end up back in hell and Grell would never be able to see him for the rest of eternity – which did put a bit of a crimp on his plans – so it was time to save the world.

He started his chainsaw and dashed past the demon-butler slashing the writhing mass of creatures and barely noticing the one darting past him. Blood splattered over him, and he felt cold with horror. This blood, the blood that was covering his face and clothes, _this blood..._ was not red at all. It was in fact light green-blue in colour – possibly what some would describe as aquamarine.

Grell thought that blood had no right to be such an offensive colour.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The three human servants' eyes widened in unison when they saw the creature barrel out of the crypt – this was certainly not what they were expecting. Maylene recovered first and shot it, the bullet hitting the Drashig by its head – and then bounced off. Bard gave a signal and Finny narrowly missed hitting it with a tree.

Pluto leapt in front of it snarling menacingly, seeming to understand what they humans wanted to achieve, and stood it down.

The Drashig had never had a more confusing or painful day in its life. First it was drawn into a bright light, then it was packed far too tightly with too many others of its kind. It had a leg ripped off and even though it had managed to bite something it had tasted disgusting - not to mention something had just hit its head, almost got crushed by a tree and now a large creature was standing in front of it, making threatening noises and smelling of fire. The Drashig was sore, angry and confused. Therefore it was only natural that it would revert to the most primitive survival state – hunting mode.

It screamed, the demon dog Pluto spouted a jet of red hot flame from his mouth, and it went mad. The creature turned to escape the fire, only to find two people in front of it. One had a pair of clippers; the other was wielding a lawnmower and an evil expression.  
"Let's get this party started." Ronald Knox said, his grin widening further as he started his lawn mower.

The Drashig barrelled towards the two shinigami, signing its own death warrant as it didn't even have time to feel pain before it had been beheaded.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The Doctor had heard the chainsaw over the sound of Drashig screams and nearly punched the air in victory. Maybe one demon wasn't enough to hold off a Drashig army, but if you added the so called 'unique' Grell Sutcliff into the mix then the world stood a better chance.

"It's almost done." The Doctor said to himself in a voice of near disbelief as he looked at a screen on the control panel. He typed in a few calculations to ensure that what he was seeing was the truth.

The Doctor swung himself down into the mechanics under the grill he usually stood on and found the necessary lever. He took a deep breath and braced himself, and then wished that he could tell the others to do the same.

"Allonsy!" The Doctor said, as if compelled to say the word as he pulled the lever.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

**A/N: Thank you, every single person, who has read, reviewed, favourited or alerted this story. You keep it going, honestly. Special thanks to nzotaku for being my beta (and an all 'round amazing person too). Hopefully, the next (probably final) chapter will not take so long, especially as I will be starting Uni again starting this Tuesday and it gives me an opportunity to think creatively to avoid boredom.  
**

**On another note, I think I enjoy writing Sebastian's... demonic-ness a little too much, to be honest... I just love writing his insults and opinions on humanity (as with the Master, who – in all honesty – thinks pretty similarly to the awesome Mr Sebby-chan), and, let's face it, his sadistic personality is (I hope) fun to read and (definitely) fun to write about.**


	13. Bright Blue and Bothersome

**~Chapter 13: Bright Blue and Bothersome ~**

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The ground shook as the last Drashig fell silent in its death. The light of the portal flickered and died, leaving the tomb in darkness. Shinigami, human and demon alike were thrown from their feet as the shockwave emanated from the TARDIS.

Even the coach containing Rose and Ciel rattled and swayed with the force of the blast. The horses stumbled and only failing to bolt because of the carriage breaks. Rose's eyes widened with realisation.

"That's gotta be the Doctor." She said with utter conviction, moving from her seat to leave."I've gotta go. I need to make sure he's okay."  
Ciel rolled his eyes with exasperation. "Miss Tyler, either he is alive or he is not and going to find him in your injured state will not change that."  
She shook her head, "I'm going. He would do the same for me." She exited the carriage steadily, her need to help the Doctor overcoming the pain in her back.

A thought then struck her. _This might be the last time I see him, so I should say goodbye now, just in case._ A twinge of regret wound its way around her heart._ I don't often get to say goodbye to people I meet in my travels. Not properly, in any case. _  
Rose turned with a smile and gave a small wave, "If I don't see you again, Ciel... it was nice meeting you. Have a good life."  
"It was an experience meeting you too, Miss Rose Tyler." Ciel replied from his seat, his tone soft and slightly melancholy. "I have no doubt that your life will continue to be interesting and eventful."

Rose smiled again as she turned back around, knowing that that was the fondest farewell she could hope the boy to give.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The Doctor stood from where he'd fallen – apparently being prepared for the shock wave wasn't sufficient to prevent a tumble. He rubbed his head where he had hit it against a protruding bit of metal, hoping that it wouldn't swell up too much.  
"Thank goodness that worked." The Doctor said to himself, noticing the lack of engine noise.

The Doctor made his way to the TARDIS door and tried to open it, only to find that it wouldn't budge. He went to a monitor screen and got the video feed working, only to see Drashig upon Drashig piled up against his beautiful time machine to the ceiling.

The Doctor cursed. _The TARDIS isn't fully functional yet – she doesn't have enough power to travel, _the Doctor thought._ However, she still has some basic functions unrelated to travel. I think it's time I call for help._

He sighed, then activated the loudspeaker.  
"Hello?" The Doctor said, hoping that someone would hear him and remove the carnage so that he could get back to his Rose. "Can anyone help get me out of here?"

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Sebastian got to his feet quickly and noticed a figure lying on the floor, curled up in foetal position covered head to toe in aquamarine Drashig blood. He poked the figure with the tip of his shoe disdainfully.  
"Grell, get up." He said with a complete lack of patience in his voice. "The bodies must be cleared away."

The figure lifted his head, and green eyes locked onto Sebastian's mahogany gaze. There was a deep sadness in the emerald eyes as they shone with unshed tears. "S-Sebas-chan?" Grell said, his voice trembling pitifully. "Am I... am I s-still beautiful?"

Sebastian rolled his eyes in exasperation._ Why is he always like this?_  
"If I say yes, will you help me remove these bodies?" Sebastian asked with a sigh.

Grell looked up, expression utterly mournful with his tear filled eyes, remaining silent as he stared.  
The butler rolled his eyes again. "Yes." He ground out reluctantly, refusing to look at the shinigami as he gave in. "Now get up and help me."

A voice of a Time Lord over a loudspeaker interrupted at this point, sounding somewhat tentative.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Rose was making her way through the graveyard slowly. It was dark, she was sore, and there was no obvious path to lead her to her intended destination. She stopped when she noticed someone was following her.

Turning around, Rose saw a grey figure and breathed a sigh of relief. "Oh. Hello there, Undertaker. Why are you following me?"

She saw a grin form under the grey fringe as he drew closer, and Undertaker gave a small shrug.  
"Just keeping you out of harm's way," he said cheerily, waving a sleeved hand dismissively. "Don't want you getting lost in the graveyard at night, now do we?"  
Rose smiled in return, though not nearly as widely as the Undertaker. "Thanks for lighting those lamps on the coach earlier, by the way. I don't know if Ciel would have found the coach otherwise."

Undertaker bowed in such a way as Rose couldn't quite decide whether he was mocking her or not. Dismissing this as something that was inappropriate to ask, she turned and started walking again, happy that the grey-robed man fell into step beside her.

There was one thing that was bothering her though. _Where did the help come from? How did Grell Sutcliff and his associates get to the right place at the right time, when normally only the Doctor could dash in at the nick of time? _The questions kept tugging at her mind, urging her thoughts into wild speculations. One of which, as unlikely as the other conclusions she'd reached, forced its way out of her mouth.  
"Uh, Undertaker... did you have anything to do with the people who showed up to help?" Rose asked, silently berating herself for her lack of restraint.

The Undertaker grinned widely at the comment – though it seemed that nearly anything could make the strange man smile. "How did you figure that out?"

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Cleaning up, between a demon and a team of shinigami, should have taken a matter of seconds. However, William Spears deemed that their work was done and had left with all of the rest of the shinigami, besides Grell Sutcliff who opted to stay.

Sebastian rather suspected that it was because of William's passionate dislike for him, and demons in general, that had caused the order. The demon butler could understand, however, because the feeling of utter loathing was completely mutual.

_I suppose if William had stayed one of us would have done something to infuriate other... and who needs two fights for their lives in one evening? _Sebastian mused, as he dragged a carcase from the tomb. _Still, damn him for leaving before I got a chance to. _

However, even with only two pairs of supernatural hands the clean-up _should_ have been a breeze. It was not.

The blood-soaked Grell had latched onto Sebastian's arm and refused to let go, claiming that he was traumatised and needed the comfort. When Sebastian threw him off, Grell clutched the butler's tattered tailcoat.

"Sebas-chan~" Grell whined, hanging onto the fabric for dear life. "Don't act like this. You're not fooling anyone – you said I'm beautiful."

"Get off." Sebastian hissed. "You're being a nuisance, and you should be helping."  
Grell didn't seem to notice the butler's ire.

"I look so ugly like this," he said, looking down at himself, "so if you think I'm beautiful even now then you must think I'm gorgeous normally."  
He looked up with shining eyes, letting go of the tailcoat as he wrapped himself around one of Sebastian's legs.

Sebastian ground his teeth, fighting the urge to decapitate the emerald-eyed shinigami if only because it would give him more work. The other shinigami would probably seek revenge.

Seething with barely concealed rage, he toiled on.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The Doctor was bored. Completely and utterly bored. He had looked at his monitor, paced around the TARDIS, fiddled with a loose bit on the railing around the control panel and looked at the monitor again. He knew there was something happening because there was movement on the screen. It was so frustrating being stuck, and the Doctor was so unused to the monotony of it.

_I wonder if Sebastian is still alive,_ the Doctor thought, _hang on, why am I wondering about him anyway?_ He shook his head to try and clear his mind. _It doesn't matter, he must be alive – he took a bullet to the head and is still going. And anyway, no-one else would be cleaning up to get me out of here. Not to mention that it would be __**so**__ like him to be doing it slowly __**just**__ to annoy me. _

The Doctor walked over and checked the monitor again. There was no sign of the demon butler at all. No sign that the carnage was being removed.  
_Is he waiting for me to beg?_ The Doctor wondered, running a hand through his hair impatiently. _If he is then he's completely out of luck._

The Doctor dismissed all is wondering, and decided that he would try to rediscover the TARDIS swimming pool. He hadn't been there for a while now, and it was _something_ to do while waiting for the butler to dig his time-machine out of the mess.

Putting his hands in his pockets, and resolving his enthusiasm about the task at hand, the Doctor set off down the corridor to search for his long-lost swimming pool.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Rose got to the Kyrios-Herre tomb with the help of the Undertaker. He was a bit odd, she decided, but he seemed honestly harmless. Why should she judge him anyway? She'd seen weirder, after all. The giant pepper-pots known as the Daleks, an enormous disembodied face in a jar, a sheet of skin with eyes and lips that had claimed to be the last human, and cat people were just a start. Compared to all that a grinning man with long grey hair (though he didn't look to be actually _old_, she noticed) wearing a grey tunic and what looked like a murdered top hat – well, he was practically _normal_... in the life of a space-time traveller, at any rate.

She turned to thank him for his help and found empty air.

"Oh... Thank you?" Rose called into the darkness, hoping he would be within earshot, as she descended into the tomb.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The first thing she noticed, upon entering the tomb, was the pretty aquamarine colour splashed around that was lit by an artificial glow, which she assumed was from the TARDIS. Then she was struck by the smell, which hit her when she took her first breath. It reeked of metallic acid* and it was then Rose realised the room was painted in blood.

She retched. This would definitely make it into her list of worst experiences ever – she had never smelt anything so horrific in her life. Rose staggered up the steps, dry heaving, trying to escape.

Getting outside was a huge relief and Rose collapsed on the ground unmindful of the action pulling at her injuries. She gulped the fresh air desperately, trying to purge her lungs of the stench.

As her stomach settled, Rose began to think. _There was __**so much blood**__. I didn't see any bodies before I ran... but it must have been a massacre. _

A deep sadness weighed down on her and she wished that the Master had not done as he did. There were too many lives lost, even if none of them were human, even though they were monsters.

_They couldn't help it_, Rose thought, _they_ _were little more than animals_. _And it's not wrong for me to feel sad for them_... _The Doctor will mourn their loss too_. _Every life is precious... but apparently not to the Master._

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Sebastian had disposed of the final Drashig body and had not long managed to peel Grell off his leg and send him on his way. He was just about to open the TARDIS door when he heard Rose's footsteps coming into the tomb. He heard the girl retch and scramble back outside.

He paused for a moment, wondering whether to fetch the girl. He had been ordered to keep her safe, after all.  
Sebastian shook his head slightly, dismissing the idea. Rose would be safe just outside the door, especially since Maylene, Finnian, Bardroy and Pluto were nearby. They would protect her if she needed it.

He opened the TARDIS door, expecting an impatient Doctor ready to come striding out, and found... nothing. The control room was empty.

_Well, at least Grell isn't attached to me any longer,_ Sebastian thought. _It shouldn't be too much hassle to find the Doctor. _

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

The Doctor had searched through many rooms, but there still was no sign of his swimming pool – which was kind of disappointing, really. Perhaps he should go back and check to see if the way was clear and if it wasn't... well, maybe it was time to beg. Or maybe he'd just wait it out.

_I don't think my pride could handle me begging. After all, it has had too many blows already today. _The Doctor thought._ I mean, asking help from a demon, and having my intelligence insulted and my integrity questioned by the Master. _

The offhand thought about the Master slipped through his defences and broke his resolve. The Doctor's face squeezed as if trying to contain the emotions, block out the memories, and remove the feelings of loss that were threatening to overwhelm him.

A dark blur raced up to him and hefted him onto its shoulder. The Doctor's eyes flicked open, and he made a tutting sound.  
"Sebastian, must you really carry me around like a sack of potatoes?" He snapped, feeling rather put out. "I'd rather walk."

Sebastian sighed – it would be fun to carry him anyway, but he was really not in the mood for more hassle. "It would be quicker, but you may walk if you so choose." He shrugged. "I shall see to the Young Master then, if you don't require haste."

"Oh, fine." The Doctor said, crossing his arms and huffing. "But do you have to carry me over your shoulder?"  
"Yes." Sebastian said simply, feeling a smug smile creep onto his face.

They ran, the rooms flickering past the Doctor's eyes. He felt himself leave the TARDIS and saw a flash of blue-green before they came to an abrupt halt outside. Sebastian shrugged his shoulders, dropping the Doctor unceremoniously. He hit the ground with a dull thud, face inches away from Rose's shoes.

"Doctor!" She said from above him, happiness evident in her voice.  
The Doctor looked up with a fond smile – simply glad to see Rose was okay.

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

Rose and the Doctor walked to the coach, Sebastian having raced on ahead to ensure that his master was alright. They walked in contented silence, her hand in his.

It was over, thank the stars. They'd saved the world, it had been an adventure and they had done it with style, but it was finally over.

_We'll have to go on some more... sedate trips for a while. _The Doctor thought. _Let Rose have some time to recover. Perhaps we can go to an Elvis concert soon (§). See the fifties, Hollywood, maybe meet some stars. _

"I should give Mum a call later." Rose said, breaking the silence. "Just to let her know I'm doing okay."  
The Doctor quirked a smile at the thought of Jackie Tyler in the height of her protective ire, making him promise that Rose would be safe. His humour dissolved at the latter part, wishing upon wish that it could be true – that she'd be safe with him forever. Nothing lasted forever... apart from him.

They reached the coach, breaking the Doctor out of his morbid musings.

"Is it over?" Ciel asked when he saw them arrive.  
"It's over." The Doctor confirmed, nodding tersely.  
"So, everything is finished now?" The boy queried, seeming unsatisfied with the short response. "Is the Master dead?"

The Doctor closed his eyes, the warring guilt and pain clear on his face.  
"The Master got away, didn't he Doctor?" Rose asked quietly, understanding him easily and feeling his distress.

The Doctor looked at the girl, his expression shifting to empty. "He didn't get away. I sent him away. Back into where he should be, in the Time Lock. I've sentenced him to die in the Time War."  
"But how did you know he didn't survive it?" Rose asked. "You did, the Emperor of the Daleks did, why couldn't he survive too?"

"He didn't know. About any of it. He couldn't feel that we were alone." The Doctor looked at the floor, pain in his expression. "He's from my past, from when there were still Time Lords and Gallifrey was at its peak. He had to go back, or it might just change everything. He had to survive here and now, so he can die in the war that's already happened."

Ciel frowned, having a bit of trouble with the tenses of a time-traveller. "Isn't that a good thing though? The Master was obviously a menace."

The Doctor fixed a fierce gaze at the boy. "Can you imagine it? Being alone, so alone, and then finding out you're not? Can you imagine that feeling to be ripped away when you realise it shouldn't have ever happened at all?" The Doctor looked Ciel up and down. "No. I didn't think you could. And now I'm alone. Again."

"You have me, Doctor." Rose said, moving over to him and slipping her hand into his.  
He smiled thinly. "Yes. Of course I have you."

The Doctor looked at the others, feeling comforted by Rose's hand.

"We should be going." He said steadily. "The TARDIS is just about ready and we have the rest of the universe to see. Let's go Rose."

**~~~~~~.~~~~~~**

**A/N:** _Well, here you go – this is the last full chapter. I hope this has lived up to (and possibly exceeded) people's expectations. The epilogue/omake thing is written and will be out very shortly. _

_*Did you know that copper, in some solutions, is blue? Did you know that when the copper oxidises (rusts) it goes green? I therefore the Drashig's blood is copper based and when it's exposed to the air it begins to rust and go green – hence aquamarine colour.  
(§) This is where Rose and the Doctor intended to go in the episode 'The Idiot's Lantern'_

_Also, I'm contemplating making a sequel to this – there's nothing concrete and it would probably take ages for me to start and get it going (I am in Post-Grad University after all and have so little time) – but if I did, would anyone be interested? I'm debating whether or not to base it on the anime after the end of series 2, and I'm wondering if anyone has any suggestions or opinions on this.  
- I have already mostly written a one-shot sequel of this set about a decade (of Kuro years) later, after/during the Doctor Who episode 'End of Time' – if you haven't watched it, I suggest you do – and that should be up reasonably soon. =)  
-I have also started on a Bleach fic, starring Matsumoto Rangiku – so keep an eye out for it if you're into Bleach! =)_

_Just remember, I can't know if people want it if you don't review._

_Thanks to all for reading, hope you've enjoyed your Doctor Who – Kuroshitsuji crossover adventure. Don't forget to tell your friends! _


	14. Epilogue, Goodbye and Good Riddance

Epilogue/Omake – Goodbye and Good Riddance

"_We should be going." The Doctor said steadily. "The TARDIS is just about ready and we have the rest of the universe to see. Let's go Rose."_

The Doctor snapped his fingers, subtly using the sonic screwdriver from his pocket. The TARDIS began to appear behind them, and the Doctor relished the looks of shock on everyone's faces. Never mind that he'd programmed the TARDIS to come to him the next time he activated his screwdriver.

Rose smiled at the Doctor and walked over, then bent down and hugged Ciel – who went rigid at the unexpected embrace.

"Take care of yourself." She said quietly to the boy. "Don't think you have to grow up just yet, okay?" She straightened up and bounced over to the Doctor. "Bye guys. Probably won't see you again, but you never know with time travel."  
The Doctor nodded and smiled with Rose as he stepped into the TARDIS.

The doors of the blue telephone box closed, and it wasn't long before it started to fade from view with its very distinctive sound. (§)

"Goodbye." Ciel said quietly, because he felt it had to be said.  
"Good riddance." Sebastian added unapologetically. The Doctor had put his bocchan in more life-threatening situations than was normal for the boy, and even though the Doctor was so much fun to toy with it wasn't worth it. Sebastian was quite pleased to see the back of him.

The sound of the TARDIS had just faded into silence when Ciel and Sebastian heard footsteps pounding in their direction.

They turned to see a man running hell-for-leather(*) towards them before stopping a few metres short of boy and butler, gasping for breath.  
"T-the Doctor... I just missed him, didn't I?" The man asked in an American accent.

Ciel nodded in confirmation, wondering why the man was looking for the Doctor.

"Dammit." He said in response, before seeming to notice that a child was present. "Sorry – but I just got here and I've been searching for him for a _long_ time. I'm Captain Jack Harkness by the way."

He smiled his most charming smile as he looked Sebastian up and down.  
"And who are _you_?"

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

**THE END**

~~~~~~.~~~~~~

**A/N:  
(§)** – I have been informed that the 'technical' term is for the TARDIS's sound is known as 'vwarp'. **  
(*)** – 'Hell-for-leather' meaning 'at breakneck speed' for those of you who don't know. I think it's predominantly a British saying (I know my English grandmother uses it a lot), but I'm not sure if it's exclusively British.

Thanks, _everyone_ who has read this through to the end, thanks for your patient waiting and marvellous comments and continued support – I never imagined I'd get even half the response I've had. You're all completely fantastic. I must admit that I have enjoyed writing this, through all its trials, procrastinations and cups of tea in my TARDIS mug. I feel like I've become a better writer and story teller through it.

**Here is a great big thank you to everyone who has read this story, to all who consider this amongst their favourites and to everyone who've story-alerted this** – **you know who you are, and you are fantastic!**

**Thanks to all of my reviewers, without whom this story may not have been completed **- _Kairii540_, Teswin, _darkshadow333_, SheWhoWonders, _PandaGirl66_, DanaBlood, _Kyrial Halcoryn_, PraiseDivineMercy, _The Iza_, Ellahello2, _1nnocent Demon_, mezwantzvgs, _Fieryfly_, westwindhowl, _BlueForestAngelCat_, Psyco101, _Upsilon Forty-Two_, Sjanni The epic Ninja, _RizuofWolves_, Sabaku no Koori, _Drunken Hellbunny_, sexysidney, _AnimeInTheBasement_, Myrna Maeve, _NatsuMikan8804_, KobaltWolf, _GirlAnimePrincess_, StarsShine, and _Rain_.

And finally, a very special thanks to **nzotaku** for her constant support, inspiration and being willing to stay up late at night to beta _all_ of my chapters. Readers have her to thank as much as me (if not more) for the completion of this Fanfiction.

With many more thanks than I can ever truly convey,  
Shiny Marble.

* * *

The One-shot relating to this story is out now, in my list of stories, for all those who wish to know and are inclined to read it. Please enjoy.


End file.
